Jury duty is important to judicial process
Staff reporter
What about those who are summoned and do not respond? Are they prosecuted?
"There are some who may not actually receive the notice for one reason or another," Powers said, "but there are some who are notified and still do not appear."
If this happens a time or two, those names are put back in the pool with the possibility of being randomly selected in the future.
"If a person continues to ignore the summons, law enforcement will personally serve the notice," Powers said.
Technically, anyone who does not respond to a court summons, even for jury duty, can be found to be in contempt of court and prosecuted.
"Our intention is not to do that," Powers said. "We only want them to do their patriotic duty and serve on the jury."
The most common reason people do not respond or do not want to serve is because of their jobs. For some, not working a day or two means having a smaller paycheck.
"We cannot excuse jurors because of a job but can defer them to another date," Powers said.
Serving has its rewards
Nearly every person who has served, even those who are reluctant, come away with a positive experience, Powers said.
"Few people really want to serve but when the trial is over, they are grateful for the opportunity," he said.
Some are even disappointed not to be selected to serve or if they are randomly chosen as alternates and not allowed to participate in deliberations.
Prior to jury selection, Powers always talks with the pool of jurors and explains the importance of jury trials.
"I always ask them, 'What if it was you or your grandchild on trial? Wouldn't you want to have a fair trial?' This is the most fair way to determine guilt is through a jury of peers and neighbors. It's the way the constitution was intended," Powers said.
