§ 25-1601 Jurors; competency; disqualified; excused, when
25-1601. Jurors; competency; disqualified; excused, when
(1) All citizens of the United States residing in any of the counties of this state who are over the age of nineteen years, able to read, speak, and understand the English language, and free from all disqualifications set forth under this section and from all other legal exceptions are and shall be competent persons to serve on all grand and petit juries in their respective counties. Persons disqualified to serve as either grand or petit jurors are: (a) Judges of any court, (b) clerks of the Supreme or district courts, (c) sheriffs, (d) jailers, (e) persons, or the wife or husband of any such person, who are parties to suits pending in the district court of the county of his, her, or their then residence for trial at that jury panel, (f) persons who have been convicted of a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment in a Department of Correctional Services adult correctional facility, when such conviction has not been set aside or a pardon issued, and (g) persons who are subject to liability for the commission of any offense which by special provision of law does and shall disqualify them. Persons who are husband and wife shall not be summoned as jurors on the same panel. Persons who are incapable, by reason of physical or mental disability, of rendering satisfactory jury service shall not be qualified to serve on a jury, but a person claiming this disqualification may be required to submit a physician's certificate as to the disability and the certifying physician is subject to inquiry by the court at its discretion. A nursing mother who requests to be excused shall be excused from jury service until she is no longer nursing her child, but the mother may be required to submit a physician's certificate in support of her request.
(2) The district court or any judge thereof may exercise the power of excusing any grand or petit juror or any person summoned for grand or petit jury service upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity for su ch period as thecourt deems necessary. At the conclusion of such period the person shall reappear for jury service in accordance with the court's direction. All excuses and the grounds for such excuses shall be entered upon the record of the court and shall be considered as a public record. In districts having more than one judge of the district court, the court may by rule or order assign or delegate to the presiding judge or any one or more judges the sole authority to grant such excuses.
(3) No qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service, except that any person sixty-five years of age or older who shall make such request to the court at the time the juror qualification form is filed with the jury commissioner shall be exempt from serving on grand and petit juries.
(4) A nursing mother shall be excused from jury service until she is no longer nursing her child by making such request to the court at the time the juror qualification form is filed with the jury commissioner and including with the request a physician's certificate in support of her request. The jury commissioner shall mail the mother a notification form to be completed and returned to the jury commissioner by the mother when she is no longer nursing the child.