How It Works

Commerce City Jury Trials

Commerce City only schedules one jury trial per day, and many people are called to serve as jurors for a trial. The judge, the prosecutor and the defense attorney will ask you questions in an effort to determine if you should sit on the jury. If selected to serve on a jury, plan to be at the court all day.

Most trials are concluded by 5 p.m., but a trial can continue into the evening or the next day. Commerce City does not sequester juries, so if the trial is continued into the next day, you will be allowed to go home for the night and return the next morning. 

If you are not chosen to serve on the jury, you may leave as soon as the jury is selected, usually in about two hours.

By ordinance, each juror is paid $5 per day for reporting for jury service and $10 per day for serving as a juror for a trial. No mileage is paid. Jurors are paid in cash at the conclusion of their service.

State and Federal Trials

Jury service in the Commerce City Municipal Court is for one day or one trial during a 12-month period. However, you can also be called for jury duty in Adams County Courts, Colorado State Courts or United States District Courts. If your jury service is canceled before you are required to appear, your name will be returned to the jury pool and you may be called again.

Jury Duty

You may be called for jury duty if:

  • You live within the Commerce City city limits
    • Portions of Henderson have been incorporated into the Commerce City city limits, so having a Henderson mailing address does not exclude you from Commerce City jury duty. If you receive a jury summons you are required to appear.
  • You are a citizen of the United States
  • You are 18 years of age or older
  • You are able to read, speak and understand English

If You Receive a Jury Summons

  • You will receive a jury summons in the mail from Commerce City Municipal Court it with date to appear.
  • It will instruct you to call the jury commissioner as soon as you receive the summons to verify that you have received the notice; the phone number will be on the notice.
  • If you call after normal business hours, or on the weekend, leave a message with your name and phone number.
  • The summons also instructs to call the commissioner after 3 p.m. the day before your scheduled jury service to know if you are required to attend.
  • After normal business hours, or during the weekend, you will hear a recorded message that will tell you if you are required to report for jury duty.
  • If the trial is canceled last minute, the recording is the easiest way to find out. If the trial is canceled far enough in advance, you will receive a phone call or a letter canceling your jury service.

Protection of Juror’s Employment

An employer may not threaten, coerce or discharge an employee for reporting for jury service as summoned.

Penalties for Failure to Obey a Jury Summons
A person who fails to obey a jury summons may be fined up to $300, be sentenced to jail for no more than 90 days or both such fine and jail sentence may be imposed. 

Exemptions from Jury Duty

You may be excused from jury duty if:

  • You have a serious physical or mental disability that would affect your jury service. If you are less than 72 years of age, you must submit a doctor’s statement of disability to the jury commissioner.
  • You have the sole responsibility for the daily care of a permanently disabled person living in the same household, and you do not work outside the home. A doctor's statement must be submitted to the jury commissioner.