For immediate release: September 21, 2023 

 

Gallatin County Officials Urge Residents to Return District Court Jury Summons Questionnaires  

About 3,600 jury summons questionnaires sent from Gallatin County District Court have yet to be returned and officials are urging residents who received these questionnaires to complete them and send them in. 

In early May, Gallatin County District Court sent out 9,600 initial notices to residents who were randomly selected to be in the District Court July pool. The term runs from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. These are not a summons for a specific trial, but simply a notification that these residents could be called to jury duty anytime during that term. 

Gallatin County District Court handles criminal cases (primarily felonies), civil matters in excess of $12,000 in damages, domestic relations, juvenile, probate, mental health, water cases, and appeals from Justice Court, Municipal Court and administrative agencies. 

Residents who received this notice were required to respond to the questionnaire within 10 days. They were provided options to receive paper or digital copies of the questionnaire to fill out. 

As of this week, approximately 3,600 questionnaires have gone unreturned.  

When a questionnaire is not returned, a Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputy is required to personally serve these to get them completed. Sheriff’s deputies have already begun that process. 

However, you can help by submitting your unreturned questionnaire as soon as possible. 

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer said that our community’s service expectations continue to increase and his deputies’ limited resources are focused on meeting those needs.  

“We need your help in performing your civic duty by filling out your questionnaire so we don’t have to use those resources to physically serve these on you,” Springer said. 

Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell said that trial by jury is a fundamental constitutional right for all of us.  

“Your participation as a juror ensures your neighbor’s right to a jury trial is protected,” Cromwell said. “I cannot overstate how important it is to return your jury questionnaire so that our judges can hold trials and we can continue to keep our community as safe as possible.”   

If you received a postcard, please follow the directions to complete the questionnaire.  

If you are unsure of whether you received a postcard, or you need your juror number, please email gallatindcjury@mt.gov or call 406-582-3670. 

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