Pickaway County – This is a direct letter from the Pickaway County Court for publication
It was President Lincoln’s prayer in the Gettysburg Address: “that government of the
people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Jury service is
“government by the people.” By serving on a jury, you directly participate in the
governance of our community.
The Pickaway County Common Pleas Court has been experiencing problems seating
juries for trial. Recently, so few jurors answered their summonses that the court was
unable to seat a jury of twelve for a criminal trial. All parties to the case, their families,
witnesses and counsel were turned away from their day in court. The problem continues
to occur with scheduled jurors being “no-shows” on the day of a scheduled trial.
While some may approach jury service with intrigue or even excitement, we recognize
that for many people the thought of jury service is not particularly pleasant. It interrupts
our daily routine—causing us to miss work or reschedule our plans—and can be
generally disruptive to our lives. Jury service, however, is essential for the orderly
functioning of our justice system. Often, I have witnessed people approach jury duty
with skepticism or annoyance but walk away from the process with a sense of
fulfillment.
Someday you or someone close to you may have the need to have an important issue
decided by a jury.
Jurors failing to appear are receiving a letter asking for an explanation of their absence
within ten days. Remarkably, many people do not answer the letter from the Court. For
those who don’t respond, this Court is now scheduling contempt hearings. The next
series of contempt hearings is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 17, 2026,
starting at 9:00 a.m. Twenty-six county residents are being served with summonses by
the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office to attend those hearings and explain their absence
from jury duty. If the Court finds that a person is in contempt, they may face court costs,
fines, and/or jail. Having to take such measures is regrettable.
I ask that when the summons for jury duty arrives in the mail, you look at it with a sense
of duty and purpose to come to the courthouse willing to do your part to live in a free
country where you have the right to participate in your government.
Judge Matthew H. Chafin
