Article 16: Jurors and Jury Selection · Last amended 2020 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section defines thirteen terms used throughout the Jury Selection Act — including combined list, grand jury, jury commissioner, jury management system, master key list, petit jury, and the one-step and two-step qualifying and summoning systems — so later sections can use them without redefining them each time.
Full Text of § 25-1646
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For purposes of the Jury Selection Act:
(1) Combined list means the list created pursuant to section 25-1654 by merging the lists of names from the Department of Motor Vehicles and from election records into one list;
(2) Grand jury means a body of people who are chosen to sit permanently for at least a month and up to a year and who, in ex parte proceedings, decide whether to issue indictments in criminal cases;
(3) Jury commissioner means the person designated in section 25-1647;
(4) Jury list means a list or lists of names of potential jurors drawn from the master key list for possible service on grand and petit juries;
(5) Jury management system means an electronic process in which individuals are randomly selected to serve as grand or petit jurors and for which the presence of a district court judge or other designated official is not required. A jury
management system may also provide an electronic process for a potential juror to complete and submit a juror qualification form and to receive summonses and notifications regarding jury service;
(6) Jury panel means the persons summoned to serve as grand or petit jurors for such period of a jury term as determined by the judge or judges;
(7) Jury term means a month, calendar quarter, year, or other period of time as determined by the judge or judges during which grand or petit jurors are selected for service from a master key list. A jury term shall not extend beyond the time by which a new combined list is required to be prepared pursuant to section 25-1654, except by order of the court;
(8) Manual jury selection process means a process in which individuals are randomly selected to serve on a grand or petit jury by drawing names from a wheel or box while in the presence of a district court judge or other official designated by the judge;
(9) Master key list means the list of names selected using the key number pursuant to section 25-1654;
(10) One-step qualifying and summoning system means a process for selecting and summoning grand or petit jurors in which a juror qualification form and summons, or instructions to complete a jury qualification form through a jury management system and a summons, are sent to a potential juror at the same time;
(11) Petit jury means a group of jurors who may be summoned and empaneled in the trial of a specific case;
(12) Tales juror means a person selected from among the bystanders in court or the people of the county to serve as a juror when the original jury panel has become deficient in number; and
(13) Two-step qualifying and summoning system means a process for selecting and summoning grand or petit jurors in which a juror qualification form, or instructions to complete a jury qualification form through a jury management system, is sent to a potential juror and, if the juror is qualified and drawn for jury service, a summons is sent.
Source
Laws 2020, LB387, § 3.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-1646 is the Act’s glossary. It groups naturally into a few clusters. One cluster covers the lists a jury commissioner builds: the combined list, created by merging Department of Motor Vehicles and election records under § 25-1654; the master key list, drawn from the combined list using the key number under § 25-1654; and the jury list, drawn from the master key list for possible grand or petit jury service. A second cluster covers people and processes: the jury commissioner, designated under § 25-1647; the jury management system, an electronic process for randomly selecting jurors and, optionally, for handling qualification forms and summonses without needing a judge present; and the manual jury selection process, the older method of drawing names from a wheel or box in a judge’s presence.
A third cluster distinguishes the types of juries and jurors the Act reaches. A grand jury is a body chosen to sit for a month up to a year, deciding in ex parte proceedings whether to issue indictments in criminal cases — a function tied to criminal law. A petit jury, by contrast, is the group summoned and empaneled to try a specific case, civil or criminal. A tales juror is someone pulled from bystanders or the county’s population when the original panel runs short. The jury panel is the group summoned to serve during a jury term, and the jury term itself is the month, quarter, year, or other period the judge or judges set for drawing jurors from the master key list.
A fourth cluster defines the two ways a commissioner can move a potential juror from the master key list to actual service. Under the two-step qualifying and summoning system, a juror qualification form goes out first, and a summons follows later if the person qualifies and is drawn. Under the one-step system, the qualification form (or instructions to complete one through a jury management system) and the summons go out together. Later sections, including §§ 25-1655 through 25-1661, describe how these systems work in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a jury list, a master key list, and a combined list?
The combined list merges Department of Motor Vehicles and election records. The master key list is drawn from the combined list using the key number described in § 25-1654. The jury list is a list of potential jurors drawn from the master key list for possible grand or petit jury service.
What is a jury management system?
An electronic process for randomly selecting grand or petit jurors without needing a district court judge or other designated official present, which may also handle juror qualification forms, summonses, and notifications.
What is the difference between the one-step and two-step qualifying and summoning systems?
Under the two-step system, a juror qualification form goes out first, and a summons follows later if the person qualifies and is drawn. Under the one-step system, the qualification form (or instructions to complete one electronically) and the summons are sent together.
What is a tales juror?
A person selected from among the bystanders in court or the people of the county to serve as a juror when the original jury panel has become deficient in number.
Does the Jury Selection Act govern grand juries used in civil cases?
No. The Act defines a grand jury as a body that decides, in ex parte proceedings, whether to issue indictments in criminal cases. Petit juries, defined separately, serve in both civil and criminal trials.
What is a jury term?
A month, calendar quarter, year, or other period set by the judge or judges during which grand or petit jurors are selected for service from the master key list.
Where are these defined terms put to use?
Throughout the rest of the Jury Selection Act — for example, §§ 25-1653 and 25-1654 describe how the master key list and combined list get built, and §§ 25-1655 through 25-1657 describe how the one-step and two-step systems operate.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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