Jury Commission
To Qualify for Jury Duty
- Access your Jury Questionnaire through the Missouri Courts Home page at: https://www.courts.mo.gov
- Then select “Submit Jury Response” to access the log in page for the Juror questionnaire.
- You will need your juror ID# and date of birth to log in.
- Completing the online questionnaire will determine your eligibility to serve as a juror during your required term of jury service.
If the online questionnaire is unavailable, you may Request a paper Questionnaire from the Howell County Circuit Clerks Civil office. 417-256-3741 x1 x2
2025
March and April Jurors:
Panel A: AND Panel B:
Your service is Complete,
You no longer need to report
If you received a summons for May and June of 2025 PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR JUROR QUALIFICATION, by following the gavel link at the top of the page.
May and June Jurors:
Panel A: (updated) THURSDAY, May 15th at 8:am
Panel B: (updated) Wednesday, May 7th at 8:am
Reporting dates updated as of 4/29/2025
After you have Qualified to serve; You are to appear on the REPORT DATE AND TIME for your Panel…. A or B as indicated on your Summons. Please Note: Most report times are no later than 8:30 a.m. You will NOT be notified when a jury trial is “called off”.
The courthouse rarely closes due to weather! If for some reason it does. You should be notified if you opted in for text and/or email notifications on the jury questionnaire.
TO AVOID APPEARING UNNECESSARILY: Check this site or call the Jury Information line at (417)256-7505 to VERIFY your report date or time. The Jury Schedules change frequently all potential Jurors may expect multiple changes to their reporting dates. Please verify your report date and time AFTER 5:00pm of the evening PRIOR your report date. Doing so will keep you from appearing unnecessarily for Jury Duty.
Thank you for your willingness to aid in the process of the Judicial system. We recognize that jury duty is time-consuming and often an imposition on our jurors, but it is one of the highest forms of civic duty we as citizens can perform for our country. We hope that you find your service to be of value. I know the courthouse personnel certainly value the time and effort that you sacrifice to serve this county as a Juror.
Jury Service: Hallmark of the American System of Justice
Few activities in our civic life provide such direct contact with our democracy as jury service. Besides voting, nothing is so active and participatory in nature. In fact, Thomas Jefferson believed that serving on a jury is more important than voting.
Report to the:
HOWELL COUNTY COURTHOUSE,
WEST DOOR ENTRANCE
Howell County, Missouri, courthouse in West Plains
Security Protocol
Be Advised: – All PATRONS entering the courthouse are subject to search by security staff…WEAPONS and BAGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE COURTHOUSE. All knives will be confiscated and not returned. CELL PHONES AND SMART WATCHES ARE NOT TO BE IN THE COURTROOMS, PLEASE DO NOT BRING THEM FOR JURY DUTY.
Dress Code
APPROPRIATE DRESS IS REQUIRED FOR JURY DUTY. (Think Business Casual) SHORTS, TANK TOPS, GRAPHIC TEE SHIRTS, PAJAMAS, OR HATS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED PAST SECURITY. You will not be excused if you show up dressed improperly.
ADA Compliant
If you need accommodations for a disability or special dietary needs, please call (417) 256-3741 during office hours, Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., at least one week in advance of your report date. You may also use this number in case of an emergency while you are serving. Access to jury service is available to all individuals with a disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
We would like to take this opportunity to Thank YOU for your service and cooperation and hope this website will provide quick and easy access to information on upcoming jury trials during your 2 Months of Jury Duty. We update this website and our phone service regularly; feel free to check back as often as needed.
THANK YOU.
Howell County Jury Information
For other frequently asked questions and items of interest, be sure to check out our FAQ page by clicking on this link Jury Duty FAQs
Overview
The Office of State Courts Administrator in Jefferson City creates the Master Jury Lists for our local Jury pools from The Secretary of States, Voter Registration files AND The Department of Revenue Drivers License files. It is possible those records have not been updated with your most recent address. Your helpfulness in completing the qualification questions will allow you to update these records.
The Summons
Jury Summons cards are mailed one month before the first report date.
The Summons card identifies:
- the court and county
- The Circuit Court of Howell County, Missouri
- the Name and address of the potential Juror
- you may make any updates to this information in the Qualification Process
- the Juror ID number and gives you instructions how to legally respond.
- the two-month term of Jury Service
- That does NOT mean a trial will last two months. It means you need to be available to come for Jury Selection during that time.
- the first report date for Jury Selection
- What Panel you are on
- the phone number for the Jury Information update line. (417)256-7505
The Jury Qualification Process
Is simply first, completing the necessary Questions; and then, getting the necessary information to the court if you need to be excused or disqualified after your questionnaire has been completed, either online or by paper questionnaire.
- Please be aware the questions are designed to help YOU and the court know about your circumstances so, judgments can be made to excuse or disqualify you as early as possible. If you get denied an excuse before Jury Selection date, the Judge or court just may want more information, and you will be able to answer in person at Jury Selection.
Before showing up for Jury Duty, all Jurors must complete the Qualification form within 10 days of receiving their summons. Either the online form or the paper form from the Circuit Clerks Civil Office. 417-256-3741 x1 x2
Howell County Jurors are “on call” for two months.
That does NOT mean a trial will last two months. It means you need to be available to come for Jury Selection during that time. At Jury Selection you have the chance to review with the court any hardships or previous obligations you may have that would interfere with that specific trial date. If you tried to get excused prior to jury selection date, and were denied, you will still have an opportunity to explain your circumstances in person to the court.
It is possible you could be called to attend more than one Jury Selection within your term of Service.
To minimize the inconvenience to our jurors’ lives; You are encouraged to call the recorded Howell County Jury information line or check this website the night before your report date, to ensure that there has been no change in the reporting instructions. Sometimes the Court cancels jury trials for various reasons and jurors can determine this by following the call-in or website instructions.
- Complete the online bio and questionnaire or contact the Circuit Clerk’s Civil office to complete the paper version. The Jury Duty qualification process is to be completed within 10 days of receiving your summons.
- Please bring your summons with you each time you report for jury duty
Medical Excuses
If you are requesting a disqualification or excusal due to mental health or medical reasons, or because you are a 24-hour caregiver for someone with a medical or mental reason, you MUST provide a doctor’s excuse. ALL MEDICIAL EXCUSES ARE DUE TWO WEEKS BROFRE YOUR FIRST REPORT DATE.
You may submit your Doctor’s excuse by:
- uploading them through eJuror,
- hand delivering them to the courthouse,
- or for your convenience have your doctor’s office fax your excuse directly to the Jury Commission. (fax#417-256-4650)
Your diagnosis or medical records are NOT required. However, the Doctor’s recommendation is essential. Please have all doctor’s excuses submitted at least 2 weeks before your report date. In other words, all requests that do not have an associated doctor’s note will be denied.
Verify Your Report Date
Your first report date is printed on the summons. It is the nature of the Court System that people are working diligently on each upcoming Jury Case. At any time, a trial could get rescheduled or even called off completely. If you opted to communicate via email or by text during your Qualification, you should get electronic updates. If not, you will need to call the automated Howell County Jury information line (417) 256-7505 OR you may check this website after 5:00 p.m. the evening before you are to report for jury duty. The recorded message will announce the most updated reporting date and time for each Panel of each Jury term of service. see the top of this page for current dates.
Reporting For Jury Duty
Report to the Howell County Courthouse, located at 106 Courthouse, West Plains, MO 65775. Please allow ample time for parking and security screening. The Courthouse opens promptly at 8:00 a.m.
- You will have to go through a Security Screening to enter the Courthouse.
- Some items that trigger the screening process are watches, belts, or possibly jewelry.
- You will need to return any prohibited item to your vehicle or dispose of it.
ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE COURTHOUSE
- any firearm or weapon
- sharp objects of any kind, ie: metal utensils, knitting needles, scissors, tools, or knives
- flammable chemicals including hair spray, pepper spray, mace, or cigarette lighters.
- purses, handbags, briefcases, backpacks, waist packs, diaper bags, or duffel bags
- cell phones, smart watches, electronic devices
You may access them on your breaks if you keep them in your vehicle.
Jury Selection
The Jury Selection process will take place the morning of the trial. Many of Howell County Jury Trails will only last one day. The selection process does allow jurors to have breaks before and after Lunch to stretch and use the multiple facilities available.
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