Mandatory Service Key To Fair Justice System
Though many people dread seeing a jury summons in their mailbox, they are no less obligated to fulfill their legal duties, residents were reminded during Community Board 5′s meeting last Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Middle Village.
Queens County Clerk Audrey Pfeffer advised residents not to throw out official juror qualification questionnaires or jury summonses mailed to them. Intentionally discarding such documents is a crime, with fines of up to $1,000 and/or a possible jail term of up to 30 days.
Even if someone pays a price for willfully disregarding jury service, Pfeffer stated, that person will still be required to serve jury duty.
Beyond the criminal repercussions of evading jury service, the clerk told residents their participation in the legal process is essential to ensuring fair civil and criminal trials-as required in the U.S. Constitution. There have been instances in which litigants protested a verdict or decision due to a lack of juror diversity.
“You have to be tried by your peers. Your peers are people from the community,” she said. “They talk about Queens having 162 nationalities, and it’s my responsibility to have a jury representative of the community.”
Juror diversity, she noted, became a controversy following the conviction of John Taylor, who fatally shot five workers at a Wendy’s restaurant in May 2000. Taylor’s attorneys appealed his conviction, claiming that the jury did not reflect the defendant’s peers; Taylor is black, and many of the jurors were Asian or Hispanic.
Prosecutors and the Queens County Clerk’s office ultimately proved the juror selection process was fair and random, and the verdict was upheld.
Nevertheless, Pfeffer stressed Queens courts need diverse juries to serve and fairly render verdicts and decisions.
“Even though it’s random, if the actual pot is not containing enough mixture of our community, then we could have a problem,” she added.
The Queens Division of Jurors office mails out 15,000 questionnaires each week, and as many as 7,000 of them are never returned, according to Pfeffer. The questionnaires determine a person’s eligibility to serve on a jury.
Pfeffer is embarking on a borough-wide campaign to remind residents of their obligation to serve and comply with the requests.
Any Queens resident 18 years of age or older who is a citizen and has not been previously convicted of a felony is qualified to serve jury duty. Many postponements and exemptions are available depending on a person’s circumstance, Pfeffer said.
Names are selected at random from a pool composed of eligible names gathered through various sources, she stated, including the city Board of Elections, the Department of Motor Vehicles, tax forms, social services and unemployment benefit applications. Volunteers are welcome.
Queens residents are generally called for jury duty every four years, and-unless chosen to serve on a trial-a juror’s service tends to be no more than two business days, according to Pfeffer.
“We’ve made jury service as friendly and accommodating as we can,” she added, noting the central jury rooms are equipped with wi-fi service and other amenities for those waiting to be called or relieved of their duties.
“We don’t want you to sit there if you have the kind of job that you can’t spend a week,” Pfeffer said. “We don’t want you to be there if you have some history that the defense attorney or prosecutor would not want you there. So there’s really a lot of effort into putting together a jury that can stay there, that will pay attention and will be responsive and listen.”
Anyone who receives a juror questionnaire or a jury summons should respond right away and follow the instructions provided. Information on requesting a postponement of service is available on the jury summons.
For additional information, visit www.nyjuror.gov/qualify or call 1-866-648-4880.
