Can my wife serve as a juror if she is not a US citizen but has a permanent Resident Card?
Full Question:
My wife has a "Permanent Resident Card". She was served a juror summons for the city of Saint Louis. She is not a United States citizen. Can she serve as a Juror?
03/26/2007 |
Category: Citizenship |
State: Missouri |
#2188
Answer:
The following is a Missouri statute governing juror qualifications:
"Qualifications of jurors, selection, exclusions prohibited.
494.400. All persons qualified for grand or petit jury service shall be citizens of the state and shall be selected at random from a fair cross section of the citizens of the county or of a city not within a county for which the jury may be impaneled, and all such citizens shall have the opportunity to be considered for jury service and an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose, unless excused. A citizen of the county or of a city not within a county for which the jury may be impaneled shall not be excluded from selection for possible grand or petit jury service on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status. "
Since she is not an United States citizen, she is not qualified to serve as a juror. However, since she was ordered to appear, she must not ignore the order. She should ask the jury coordinator to be excused for the reason that she is not qualified to serve.
