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e-Li: Electronic Library

Board of Jury Commissioners

In most counties of this state, a three-member board of jury commissioners is appointed by the judge or judges of the circuit and criminal courts in the county and any chancellor or other judge with the duty to hold circuit or criminal court in the county. In most counties, jury commissioners must be at least 25 years of age and residents of the county for five years, reside in different sections of the county, not be practicing attorneys or state or county officers, and not have any suits pending in any of the courts noted above. The legislative body of any county with a population in excess of 50,000 according to the 1980 or subsequent federal census may by resolution adopted by a two-thirds majority vote increase the number of jury commissioners to either five or seven. T.C.A. § 22-2-201. Jury commissioners are compensated for each day or portion of a day discharging the duties of the board in accordance with T.C.A. § 22-2-201. Jury commissioners serve a term of four years. T.C.A. § 22-2-202(b)  The board of jury commissioners meets every two years to create from available and reliable sources a list of people qualified to serve as jurors in the circuit and criminal courts of the county in such number as specified by the judges selecting the board. T.C.A. § 22-2-302. Also, the board of jury commissioners oversees the process of selection of names for jury service from the list of eligible residents. T.C.A. § 22-2-304.