Welcome to the Potter County Jury System.

Jury service plays an essential role in our system of justice - the right to a trial by jury made up of persons representing a fair cross-section of the community. Along with our voting privilege, jury service is one of the most important duties of citizenship, and one we hope you will accept with pride. It requires no special skills or legal knowledge, but only that you be honest, impartial, and willing to keep an open mind.

You were selected for jury service from a master jury list composed of the Potter County Voter Registration and the South Dakota Driver’s License lists. You have been assigned to a six month term of court, but at this time we have no way of knowing how many jury trials will occur during that term.

We recognize that jury service sometimes requires sacrifices and may mean rearranging schedules, canceling appointments, or missing work. Yet serving as a juror is an important civic and community duty, as well as a privilege and responsibility. Those who serve as jurors have an opportunity to see the courts in action and to actively participate in a fundamental democratic process.

The first step in your jury service is to sign and complete your jury summons and to complete and return your jury questionnaire to the Clerk of Courts. Completion of the questionnaire does not mean that you will ultimately serve. The questionnaire just indicates that you have received the summons, and it provides the parties some information about you.

Juror Reporting Instructions (three options):

1. Text Messages – Messages will be sent out each week by Friday to instruct you regarding attendance for the following week.  Updates will also be sent out regarding any jury trial, cancellations, etc. You must sign up for text messaging in order to receive this service through the Clerk’s Office.

2.  Phone-In System – If you choose not to receive text messages each week, you are asked to call 605-765-9472 every Friday after 5:00 PM. The recorded message will instruct you regarding your required attendance for the following week. If your attendance is required on a specific day, you should again call 605-765-9472 up to 8:00 a.m. the morning of the trial to make sure the trial has not been cancelled.

3.  Internet Access to Website – https://ujsjurors.sd.gov/courthouse

        Select Potter County from the dropdown.

                Click View Courthouse

                Select Reporting Instructions

Messages will be updated every Friday instructing you regarding your required attendance for the following week.  If a jury trial is scheduled for the week, it is very important to check this site periodically to receive further updates for any last minute changes to the schedule. 

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. We look forward to your service.

Thank you,

Julie Kilian

Potter County Clerk of Courts