Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., together with Administrative Judge for Civil Matters of the 12th Judicial District Hon. Douglas E. McKeon, Administrative Judge for the Criminal Division of the 12th Judicial District Hon. Efrain Alvarado and Bronx County Clerk Luis M. Diaz officially announced the launch of the new jury duty call-in system.
Under the new system, which has been in effect since late November 2011, Bronx residents summoned for jury duty must call a toll-free telephone number at the top of their summons a day before they are scheduled to appear at court. The 24-hour recorded message will inform jurors if they need to appear for jury duty.
The call-in system has been implemented to bring in close to the amount of required jurors, rather than having a surplus of individuals at court that may not be utilized.
“We are excited to bring this new service to the Bronx. This call-in system is long overdue, convenient and cost efficient. In these tough economic times, many of us cannot afford to be out from work for an extended amount of time. This new system will help to make sure that happens, while also ensuring that court system is properly served,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“Our Juror phone-in program will not only make jury service in the Bronx more convenient, it will result in significant savings in juror costs, which in these tough economic times is a great benefit to Bronxites,” said Administrative Judge for Civil Matters of the 12th Judicial District Hon. Douglas E. McKeon.
“The implementation of our new call in system will create a much more juror friendly and cost effective jury pool system. The new system will allow the potential juror to call in to determine if they are in fact needed to report on their scheduled day, eliminating jurors sitting around for days, only to be sent home without serving. The Unified Court System saves money on wasted mailings. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Bronx County Clerk Luis M. Diaz.
“Before, we had the constant problem of running out of jurors on some days and having too many jurors on other days; with this new system we have a better balance. Judges now have a better idea of how many jurors they’ll have on any given day, which brings certainty to the judges and jurors while we make the best use of available funds,” said Criminal Division Administrative Judge Efrain Alvarado
Upon receiving a summons, residents are instructed to call the message system after 5:00 p.m. on the evening prior to their first day of service. Residents must enter their juror index number, located on the summons to find out if they need to report for service on the day indicated on the summons.
For more information contact First Deputy County Clerk Kay Amer at 718-618-3361 or visit: http://www.bronxcountyclerksoffice.com/en/home/.