§ 16-32-102 - Jury commissioners.
16-32-102. Jury commissioners.
(a) On or before November 1 of each year, the circuit judge shall appoint not less than three (3) nor more than twelve (12) jury commissioners who shall:
(1) Not be related to one another, or to the appointing judge, within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity;
(2) Possess the qualifications for petit jurors;
(3) Have no suits pending in the circuit courts;
(4) Not be directly or indirectly concerned with any pending criminal proceeding or prison investigation; and
(5) Not be related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to any elected county officer.
(b) The judge shall administer to the commissioners the following oath:
"You do swear faithfully to discharge the duties required of you as jury commissioners; that you will select jurors as provided by law from a cross section of the community which this court serves and you will not exclude or include any persons on account of race, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status; that you will not select any person as a juror who has solicited or had others to solicit that his name be placed on the jury list; that you will not make known to anyone the names of the prospective jurors that you select until after they have been notified by the court of their selection; and that you will not, directly or indirectly, converse with anyone selected by you as a juror concerning the merits of any proceeding pending, or likely to come before the grand jury or court until after the case is tried or otherwise finally disposed of."
(c) Jury commissioners shall receive ten dollars ($10.00) per day for their services and ten cents (10cent(s)) per mile from and to their homes by the most direct and practical route.
(d) No person shall be appointed as a jury commissioner who has served as a jury commissioner anywhere in the state within four (4) years of the date of appointment.
(e) If any commissioner shall become disqualified, die, or be executed, the judge, in his discretion, may appoint a successor commissioner.
(f) Any person who shall fail or refuse to attend and perform the duties required of a jury commissioner, without reasonable excuse, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500). However, nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the inherent powers of the court to punish for contempt.