Grand Jury Service

Those who have received a summons to report for Grand Jury service on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, the Honorable Benjamin W. Karpf presiding, please follow the instructions listed below: 

  1. You must report at 8 AM on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, to the Chatham County Courthouse at 133 Montgomery St., Savannah, GA 31401.  A sign in the lobby will direct you to the proper courtroom and floor.
  1. Grand Juror check in will begin approximately 15 minutes before your reporting time.
  1. Please bring your Grand Jury summons with you for easier check in.
  1. For available free parking information, you may call 912-652-7170 or refer to the third page of your Grand Jury summons or this website under the “Available Free Parking For Jurors With Map” button.
  1. If you have a problem serving, you must send a written, signed request with supporting documentation to the presiding judge by Friday, August 23, 2024, as explained on your summons. Be sure to include telephone number and/or email address.
  1. Questions may be left on the Judge’s phone number at 912-652-7460.  Jury Services staff at 912-652-7170 may answer procedural questions, but jury staff cannot defer, excuse, or exempt anyone from Grand Jury service.
  1. If you need a blank form or affidavit to complete, you may print the needed form from this website under the “Forms and Affidavits” button. Please remember that the affidavit forms must be notarized; do not sign these affidavit forms until you are in front of a notary.  Affidavit forms may be used for those over the age of 70, if you are a caregiver for someone over the age of six or for a child age six or younger, you are a homeschool teacher, or you are active duty military.  Other forms available that do not need to be notarized are for full-time students, you are not a US citizen, you are no longer a resident of Chatham County, Georgia, or you will be out of the country for an extended amount of time. The second page of your Grand Jury summons may be completed for some of these listed situations.

Thank you for this important service for our community!

 

Grand Jurors are usually drawn quarterly from the master list of potential jurors provided to Chatham County by the State of Georgia's Council of Superior Court Clerks. This master list of potential jurors is the same one from which trial jurors (sometime called “petit” jurors) are selected. The requirements to serve as a Grand Juror are basically the same as for a trial juror. In addition to the basic requirements for serving as a trial juror, Grand Jurors when summoned must have resided in Chatham County Georgia for at least six months. Also, they must not be holding or have held an elected office in state or local government during the previous six months.

Citizens summoned for grand jury service are usually instructed to report on the first Monday (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday) of the term of court for which they have been summoned. On the first reporting day, twenty-three to twenty-six Grand Jurors are chosen to serve for a three month term. Those citizens who are chosen to serve as Grand Jurors usually report every Wednesday for three months. The Superior Court Judges rotate the responsibility of presiding over Grand Jury every six months.

The summonses for Grand Jury service are sent out approximately a month ahead of the reporting date with instructions to contact the presiding judge if someone summoned has a problem serving during that term. Only the judge presiding over the grand jury may excuse or defer someone from grand jury service. All requests for excusal or deferral from Grand Jury Service must be put in writing to the presiding Judge by the deadline date specified on the Grand Jury summons you receive. The presiding judge will respond in writing to all requests. There are alternate Grand Jurors chosen who will be able to fill in for any Grand Juror who may need to miss one or two meetings during their term of service. Therefore, during the District Attorney’s Grand Juror orientation that follows being sworn or affirmed as a grand juror, you should inform them of any meeting date that you may not be able to attend. They will then possibly be able to schedule an alternate to replace you for that meeting day.

Questions concerning the grand jury summons and procedures, may be directed to someone in the Jury Service Division. You may contact someone in Jury Service at 912-652-7170, Monday through Friday between 2 pm and 4:30 pm. Please keep in mind that Jury Service personnel cannot defer or excuse anyone from grand jury service.

The Grand Jury will meet under the advisement of the District Attorney once the members for the current term are selected.
Click here for the Grand Jury Service Fact Sheet