Montgomery County clerk announces debit‑card jury pay starting July 2026 and outlines juror duties

Tiffany Couch, the elected clerk of the circuit court for Montgomery County, said in a jury‑orientation video that the county is rolling out a debit‑card jury compensation program beginning July 2026. “I have started providing an innovative approach and costeffective way to compensate you for your jury service,” Couch said, adding that jurors will be given a pamphlet with a debit card and that she will “make it a priority to have these funds loaded onto your card within 10 business days after service.”

Couch told prospective jurors that the video and a mailed letter include contact information and resources for the jury panel. The website text in the transcript was garbled and the video does not state the per‑day or per‑service payment amount; Couch directed viewers to the clerk’s office for questions.

The clerk also said that, under the plan explained in the video, “at the end of this current calendar year, you will not be eligible to serve on a circuit court jury for a period of 3 years.” Couch said employers may not penalize employees for jury service and that jurors should not be required to use vacation or sick leave while serving.

Chief Justice Cleo E. Powell of the Supreme Court of Virginia delivered a message in the orientation stressing the constitutional basis for jury trials and the responsibilities of jurors. “Trial by jury is a fundamental right protected by both the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Virginia,” Powell said, urging jurors to listen carefully, weigh evidence, and apply the law impartially.

The video provides practical instructions on the selection and trial process: potential jurors will be randomly selected to form panels, may be assigned numbers or badges, and should remain in the jury assembly area while available for selection. It explains voir dire (the panel questioning process), that attorneys may seek to strike jurors for cause without limit, and that each side has a fixed number of preemptory strikes that “may not be used to exclude a juror based on race or gender,” as the video states.

On jury composition and verdict rules, the orientation says a misdemeanor jury typically uses seven jurors and a felony jury uses 12; civil juries generally have five or seven jurors depending on the damages claimed. The video reiterates that criminal convictions require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, while civil cases are decided by the greater weight of the evidence.

Juror conduct receives repeated emphasis: the presentation warns jurors not to conduct independent research, avoid news and social media about the case, and refrain from sending or accepting electronic communications related to the trial. The video cautions that receiving outside information could “jeopardize the fairness of the trial or even cause a mistrial.”

On deliberations, the orientation explains jurors should elect a four‑person to lead discussion, that person is responsible for order and for forwarding written questions to the judge via the bailiff, and jurors should keep an open mind during deliberations. When a unanimous verdict is reached, the four‑person signs the verdict form and the bailiff notifies the judge; attorneys may ask to poll jurors individually to confirm the verdict.

The video ends with thanks from Couch, the judges, and the sheriff’s office for jurors’ service, framing jury duty as a core civic responsibility. For details not specified in the recording — including the exact jury compensation amount and the court’s jury webpage URL (the transcript's website text is garbled) — Couch directs viewers to contact the clerk’s office.