- How does the court get my name for Jury Service?
The court receives a list of licensed drivers and identification card holders, over the age of 18, from the Department of Motor Vehicles and a list of registered voters from Voter Registration. The court uses this list to call prospective jurors for Jury Service.
- How much will I be paid for Jury Service? When will I get paid?
Currently, jurors receive $12.00 per day and are reimbursed for the mileage from their home at a rate of 65.5 cents per mile. Jury payroll is done every Friday.
- Juror Lodging
To be eligible for reimbursement for meals and provided lodging, a sworn juror shall be 75 or more miles away from their residence while serving on a jury panel. Jurors will not be compensated for any lodging arrangements made for the night prior to jury selection. All lodging arrangements for sworn jurors will be made by Court Administration.
- How many times may I be called to serve on a jury?
As a juror, once you appear for a trial, regardless of if you are chosen to serve on that panel, your jury service is considered complete for two years in the Mohave County Court System.
- How long will I have to serve as a juror?
The first step in Jury Service is the selection of jurors. This process usually takes less than one day. The courts will call more people than necessary for the purpose of jury selection. This is done to ensure that the courts have an adequate number of jurors to choose from. If you are selected to serve as a juror, the judge will let you know how long he or she anticipates the trial to last. In the justice and municipal courts, trials are usually completed in one day.
- What is proper attire for court?
As a juror, you are an officer of the court; and should dress appropriately. Business casual attire is suggested. The temperature of the jury assembly room and courtrooms can be unpredictable; you may want to bring a sweater or jacket. Shorts, miniskirts, tank tops, halters, braless dresses or tops, graphic tee-shirts, rubber sandals and other informal attire is not considered appropriate in the courtroom setting. If you should appear wearing these or other items deemed unsuitable for attending court, you may be required to return home at your own expense to change into more suitable attire or your jury service may be rescheduled to another date.
- How may I be excused from Jury Service?
Persons who are scheduled to appear for jury service may postpone the date of their initial appearance for jury service two times only. On timely request, postponement shall be granted if all of the following apply:
1. The prospective juror has not been granted two prior postponements.
2. The prospective juror contacts the jury commissioner by telephone or electronic mail or in writing to request a postponement.
Excuses are not generally granted on the basis of religious beliefs, moral beliefs, status as business proprietor, professional status as doctor or lawyer, etc.; however, you may request to be excused for ANY reason two times only. If you are requesting a permanent excuse due to one of the above reasons, you will need to write a letter to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.
- If you are requesting a permanent excuse:
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service for a medical or mental health condition must provide the jury office with a written statement from a licensed health care professional. The statement must be in writing and shall contain a description and duration of any mobility restrictions, the specific symptoms that make the prospective juror mentally or physically unfit for jury service and their duration, the employment status of the prospective juror and the printed name, signature, professional license number if applicable, area of specialty and contact information of the authorizing physician, registered nurse practitioner or professional caregiver. There is a medical form available (CLICK HERE), or a handwritten note from the doctor on official letterhead is also accepted.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service for public interest would have to explain how their service would substantially and materially affect the public interest or welfare in an adverse manner.
- A juror may be excused from jury service if they are not currently capable of understanding the English language, and do not wish to have an interpreter provided.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service for adult caregiver status must provide a statement from the patient's physician. The statement must confirm that that the patient requires care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and must also designate the juror as the sole caregiver and explain why alternate care cannot be provided for even one day.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service for child caregiver status must provide proof of dependency (birth certificates). If the child is school age the juror must explain why they would not be available for jury service during school hours. A juror does not qualify for the caregiver exemption if they are employed.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service for financial hardship must provide documentation showing that by attending jury service, the juror would incur costs that would have a substantial adverse impact on the payment of the person's necessary daily living expenses or on those for whom the juror provides regular employment or the principal means of support. The juror must show that by serving on a jury for even one day would place them under the federal poverty guidelines by providing supporting documentation such as federal and state income tax returns.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service due to employment as a law enforcement officer must be currently certified by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board (AZPOST) and currently employed as a peace officer in this state or any political subdivision of this state. The employer of a peace officer shall not in any way influence the peace officer to make or not to make an application to the court to be excused from jury service.
- A prospective juror who is at least seventy-five years of age may request to be excused temporarily or permanently.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service due to being a student must provide documentation showing they are registered full-time at a college or university. The juror must provide a copy of their current class registration showing the number of units they are currently enrolled in. Should the student reside in Mohave County and be employed full-time during the day and enrolled as a full-time night student, the juror will not be excused from service.
- A juror seeking to be excused from jury service due to active military status must provide documentation showing that they are currently enlisted, where they are based and how long they are enlisted for. A family member can also provide this documentation in instances where the juror is unable to be reached.
- Jury Scam Alert
The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Mohave County is warning residents of an ongoing nationwide jury scam that's defrauding people of thousands of dollars across the country and in Arizona, affecting jurors in Mohave County.
Scammers place calls or send emails representing themselves as law enforcement and threaten fines, fees, and jail time for individuals who fail to appear for jury service. They may also give people a fake law enforcement badge number and case number. Their motive is to create a sense of urgency and panic, pressuring people to respond quickly and provide personal information and money.
The scammers typically demand payment via a prepaid debit card or even via Bitcoin for missing jury duty, which is just one variation of the long-running jury duty scam. Scammers may not always demand payment directly. In some cases, they attempt to deceive people into disclosing personal information. In other instances, people might receive an email that appears to include a "jury summons" but contains malware instead of an official document—downloading the attachment would infect your computer. Scammers may also alter legal documents to make their fraud appear more authentic.
How to Identify Scams:
- Courts do not ask for immediate payment over the phone or via email.
- Only scammers will insist that payment be made only with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer service.
- Courts do not request sensitive personal information over the phone, such as a Social Security number.
Individuals who receive calls like this are encouraged to hang up immediately or not respond to them. Instead, write down the phone number and contact law enforcement. The jury office requests that anyone with questions about their jury status call (928) 753-0713. They should also report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Valid Missed Jury Duty Service Notifications:
- The Court would issue a failure to appear notice through the U.S. Mail, and potential jurors are asked to reschedule jury service for a later date.
- Any jury service-related fines would be levied by a judge in a courtroom.
- The Court would reach out via email and/or text when asking potential jurors to call (928) 753-0713 to schedule a new date.
According to the FTC, Arizona ranked as the fourth worst state for imposter scams in 2024, losing an estimated $766 million to fraudulent phone calls and payment apps, while U.S. residents lost an estimated $2.95 billion.
Jury Service is a vital component of the American justice system. The United States Constitution and the Arizona Constitution guarantee the right to trial by jury. All Mohave County residents who are 18 years and older, U.S. citizens, and have never been convicted of a felony or have had their civil rights restored are obligated to participate in the jury service process. Citizens over 75 years of age may be excused from jury service by written request. Additionally, anyone who has appeared for jury service is exempt from serving for 24 months following service.