OFFICE OF THE CLERK
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
John S. Brubaker, Clerk
PUBLIC NOTICE CONCERNING
JURY SELECTION PROCEDURES
This Notice constitutes compliance with the Judicial Administration & Technical
Amendments Act of 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-406) and informs the general public of the
procedures by which juror names are periodically and randomly drawn for potential jury
service at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Prior to the use of computers and automated processes, the selection of jurors for
potential jury service within the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North
Carolina began with a procedure whereby names were manually selected from County
Voter Registration and Department of Motor Vehicle lists randomly. Now, however, the
selection of juror names is performed using computerized, automated processes.
Pursuant to 27 U.S.C. Section 1861, all litigants “have the right to grand and petit
jurors selected at random from a fair cross section of the community.” Effective with
the 2016 Master Jury Wheel refill - jurors will be drawn from official voter registration
listings. This source list forms the basis of the Court’s “Master Jury Wheel.” All
potential juror names will be stored in an electronic format and will reside in an
automated database. Based upon the needs of the Court, names of potential jurors
will then be randomly drawn from the Court’s Master Wheel. Individuals selected will
be mailed a jury qualification questionnaire which they are required to complete and
return in order for the Court to determine if the individual is legally qualified to serve as
a juror. Names of all individuals determined to be qualified will be placed on a second
wheel - the “Court’s Qualified Wheel”. As prospective jurors are needed for a specific
trial, criminal or civil calendars or a grand jury, juror summonses are sent to persons
randomly selected from the qualified wheel. All of these selections are carried out
through a properly programmed electronic data processing system for pure
randomized selection. The pure randomized process ensures that the mathematical
odds of any single name being picked are substantially equal.
