Jury duty? Dealing with summons just got easier in Collier County
Got summoned for jury duty?
In Collier County, the Clerk of the Courts has gone digital to make it easier for potential jurors.
The Clerk’s office recently completed a switch to a high-tech management system.
Last year, nearly 59,000 residents received a summons to potentially sit on a jury, which can mean taking time off from work or golf and reporting to the courthouse at the crack of dawn and get questioned by attorneys and a judge for a case.
“With this high-tech management system, the jury selection process will be streamlined to save time for potential jurors in responding to a summons and automate the overall process for the convenience of jurors, judges, and attorneys,” Crystal Kinzel, clerk of the courts, said in a newsletter.
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“Through this automated process, we will have greater control of the juror process and minimize the inconvenience of those summoned,” according to the clerk’s office. “We hope to minimize the number of jurors called to achieve the number of jurors needed through this automation.”
What does the new system offer?
There is now online access, email notifications and text alerts, as well as a paperless check-in system, according to the clerk’s office.
After getting a summons in the mail, potential jurors are directed to go online to the jury response website at jury.collierclerk.com.
They will be required to provide an email address and phone number. The next step is completing the online juror questionnaire.
From there, they will be verified as qualified or not on the website. Once qualified, potential jurors can opt-in to receive updates about reporting instructions through email and text alerts.
Jurors may also submit a request to be excused for jury duty, for disqualification or deferral from the jury response website, or they can use the automated jury phone.
“Approval of the request is upon discretion of the judge after a thorough evaluation,” according to the clerk’s office. “While these requests are possible, we still highly encourage everyone to participate. For every excusal, the pool is reduced which increases the likelihood that others will be called more often for jury duty. “
How does the new system work?
This new system incorporates a more up-to-date jury pool selection plan that has been approved by the State Supreme Court.
“This updated pool selection uses one of the most cryptographically strong random number generators available,” according to the Collier clerk’s office. “The new system can initially evaluate the eligibility of potential jurors and maintains an up-to-date juror status. ”
Potential jurors who complete the questionnaire online prior to reporting will be able to check-in by scanning their juror summons through kiosks when arriving at the courthouse jury room, reducing overall waiting and processing time.
Smart devices will be provided for use by those who have not completed their questionnaire ahead of time. Digital profiles will be sent to the judge, attorneys, and clerks to continue the juror seating.
With the website application and system, the clerk’s office can monitor juror response activity in real-time, showing how many people have confirmed participation, applied for being excused, or have not shown any activity on the website or telephone.
Potential jurors can access the jury response website 24/7 to complete the questionnaire, view juror instructions and/or submit a request for excusal, disqualification, or deferral. For more information about the jury selection process, visit Collierclerk.com.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Notice of jury summons came in mail? You can respond online
