Qualifications & Exemptions

Qualifications of Jurors

To qualify as a juror, a person shall:

be a resident of the city of East Lansing. If you have any questions about qualifying as a resident please contact (517) 336-8639 or email. Persons with an East Lansing mailing address, but live in Meridian Township are not eligible to serve. Please contact the jury clerk if you receive a summons and do not reside in the City of East Lansing.
be able to speak / understand the English language.
be physically / mentally able to carry out the functions of a juror. Temporary inability will not be deemed a disqualification. If you have a problem/disability, a note from a physician must be sent to the court along with your written request to be excused.
have not served as a juror in any court during the proceeding 12 months.
not be currently serving a sentence on a felony conviction.

Prospective jurors may be excused from jury service only for an extreme hardship. If you believe you qualify to be excused, you must notify the 54B District Court in writing of the reason you believe you are not eligible to serve as a juror. Requests may be sent to the jury clerk by mail, fax or email to the jury clerk for review.
The 54B District Court realizes prospective jurors may have been summoned at an inconvenient time and is willing to defer service to a more convenient time in most instances. All requests for postponement must be made in writing and either mailed, faxed or email to the jury clerk for review.
A person over 70 years of age may claim an exemption from jury service and will be excused upon making a written request to the Court. Requests may be sent to the jury clerk by mail, fax or email to the jury clerk for review.
If you believe you may not be selected to serve on a jury because of your occupation, life experiences or moral or religious beliefs, you are required to appear for jury service. When your name is selected for voir dire, the judge will make the decision whether or not to excuse you.