| Jurors are the heart of the judicial system in the United States. In all serious criminal cases, defendants are entitled to a trial by a jury representative of the
defendant's community.
All U.S. citizens are qualified for jury service if they are at least 18
years old, are residents of the jurisdiction in which they have been summoned to
serve, have had their civil rights restored if previously convicted of a felony,
and have not been determined by a court to be mentally incompetent or insane.
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Arizona Jury Service |
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What to Expect:
Course of a Trial
Courtroom Personnel
Juror Bill of
Rights
Questioning of
Jurors
Types of Courts
Words and Phrases
Excuse, Claim and Reimbursement Forms
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Arizona
has pioneered many successful jury reform measures, such
as jurors being allowed to ask written questions of witnesses in
the court; jurors being allowed to discuss evidence (in civil
cases) during the course of the trial; juror note taking and juror
notebooks in lengthy or complex trials and supplemental pay for
long trials.
Prospective jurors may be called for service by a Justice of the Peace Court, a Municipal Court, or by the
County Jury Commissioner
of the Superior Court.
A Juror Orientation Video is provided to help give a better understanding of
the role of the jury and the responsibilities of the juror. CLICK on
a link below to watch the video ( Adobe FLASH Player reuired ):
A person seeking to be excused from jury service in Arizona must apply to the court that issued the summons. Possible grounds for
excuse include:
- the person has a mental or physical condition that causes him/her to be
incapable of performing jury service
- jury service would substantially and materially affect the public
interest, adversely
- the person does not understand English
- jury service would require the person to abandon someone under his/her
care, because it is impossible for him/her to obtain substitute care
- jury service would cause the person to incur costs that would have a
substantial adverse impact on the payment of his/her necessary daily
living expenses or on those for whom he/she provides regular employment
support
- jury service would result in illness or disease
- the person is a
certified peace officer employed by the state
- jury service would cause undue or extreme hardship
- the person has served as a
juror in this state within the last two years
- the person is at least 75 years of age
(Documentation in support of the excuse is generally required.)
Arizona follows a one-day/one-trial term of jury service. Once
selected, a person's term of jury service is fulfilled after they have served on
one trial. Those individuals who are not selected or assigned to a jury on
the first
day are also deemed to have fulfilled their jury service obligation by having
appeared at the court. Other ways a person's jury service term may be
fulfilled include: being available for four days within a thirty-day
period (that is, the prospective juror calls in to see whether he must report
for jury service) and/or the prospective juror provides the court with a valid
telephone number and stands ready to serve on the same day for a period of two
days.
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Superior Court of Arizona |
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County Jury Commissioners
Court Locator
Apache County
Cochise County
Maricopa County
Pima County
Yavapai County
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General and county specific jury service information including court locations, hours, parking, attire, tips for coping after jury
service, confirming or rescheduling your jury service date and frequently asked questions.
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Limited Jurisdiction Courts |
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Court Locator
City of Gilbert
City of
Mesa
City of Tempe
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General information regarding jury service in Justice of the Peace and Municipal Courts.
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Request
for Medical Excuse Form
Lengthy
Trial Fund Forms: Reimbursement Request
Form |
Juror Claim Form |
Brochure
FY 2008 Arizona Lengthy Trail Fund Report is submitted annually to the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee, pursuant to A.R.S. § 21-222(F), and reports on the
amount of monies collected and disbursed from the Arizona Lengthy Trial Fund and
the number of jurors who received monies from the fund.
Jurors: The Power of 12
(1994). This report takes the form of 55 specific recommendations touching upon the entire process in which jurors are involved, beginning with the subject of source lists from which potential jurors' names are taken and ending with the need for post-verdict debriefings of jurors following unusually stressful trials.
Executive Summary | Summary of Recommendations
Jurors: The Power of 12, Part Two
(1998).
In late 1996, about two years after submission of its original report on jury reform,
Jurors: The Power of 12, and one year after the Arizona Supreme Court's adoption of several new rules affecting jury trials, the Committee on More Effective Use of Juries was reconvened to consider additional issues.
Lengthy Trial Fund Brochure
The Final
Report and Recommendations (2002) of the Arizona Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee to
Study Jury Practices and Procedures consists of 15 specific recommendations
applying to jury management and administration. The committee believes the
Judicial Branch has a responsibility to improve every aspect of its jury system.
Accordingly, each recommendation was formulated with the aspiration of improving
jury service for all of Arizona's citizens. In the committee's deliberations,
consensus on all issues was reached.
Supplemental
Report Concerning Jury Anonymity (2003) also written by the Arizona Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee.
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