jr ssem operaions - new york state unified court system · best practices for jury system...

BeSt practiceSfOr

JONATHAN LIPPMANCHIEF JUDGE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

ANN PFAUCHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

APRIL 2009

NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

Jury SyStem

OperatiOnS

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • TABLE OF CONTENTS i

Jury System Operations

Best Practicesfor

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii

Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

PART I: Qualifying Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

PART II: Summoning Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

PART III: When Jurors Appear for Service . . . . . . . . . . . .51

PART IV: Utilizing Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

PART V: Processing Payroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Appendix A: Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Appendix B: Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Appendix C: Internet References . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

April 2009

ii NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • INTRODUCTION iii

INTRODUCTION

This pamphlet sets out Best Practices for New York State jurysystem operations. It is the result of close collaboration betweenthe 62 Commissioners of Jurors and the Jury Support Office at theOffice of Court Administration. It is premised upon Commissioners’roles as managers of a central court function – the jury system. Thisdocument codifies the fine practices already in effect across thestate and aims to increase consistency in the ways in which all thejury commissioners approach qualification, summoning, and utiliza-tion of jurors. Also addressed are: processing payroll; assuring thatjurors understand their rights, roles, and responsibilities; and pro-viding an environment for jurors that is both comfortable andrespectful.

This document includes 19 Principles which form the framework forthe practices and 48 Standards to which Commissioners areexpected to adhere. Principles define operational goals. Standardsdefine specific measures for testing achievement of those goals.Best Practices are the steps recommended for implementing thePrinciples and reaching the goals set out in the Standards. EachPrinciple is followed by Best Practices and specific Standards. ThePrinciples and Standards are compiled at the beginning of thispamphlet.

These Principles, Standards and Practices are consistent with thestatutes and rules that define Commissioners of Jurors duties.These include: Judiciary Law, Article 16 (Sections 506 – 527)Selection of Jurors; the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge,Part 128; and the Uniform Rules for the Jury System. In addition,Commissioners of Jurors assist courts, as needed with implementa-tion of Part 220 of the Uniform Rules of the Trial Courts, particularlywith respect to the use of juror note-taking and use of notebooks.

This is a reference and resource guide for New York StateCommissioners of Jurors and their staffs. Judges and administra-tors whose work involves juries are also encouraged to review this

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/chiefadmin/128.shtml

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLJUD0A16.html

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/trialcourts/220.shtml

iv NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

guide to familiarize themselves with the effort that goes into bring-ing jurors into the courthouse. Hopefully, this Best Practices guidewill be treated as a living document that can be amended andrefined as technology and procedures change and are improved.

The tools described here are specific to New York State’s jury sys-tem. However, we believe that jury commissioners, judges andadministrators in other jurisdictions might find our recommenda-tions of use to their jury systems as well.

April 2009

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PRINCIPLES 1

Principles

2 NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

PART I: QUALIFYING JURORS Page

Principle 1 The people to whom qualification

questionnaires are sent should be

representative of the county’s population ..................16

Principle 2 Mail enough qualification questionnaires

to maintain a three-month supply of

qualified (available-to-summon) jurors .......................18

Principle 3 Qualified jurors not summoned to serve

within a set period of time automatically

become eligible to receive a new juror

qualification questionnaire..........................................22

Principle 4 Use follow-up mailings and noncomplianceproceedings to reduce non-response to

qualification questionnaires........................................24

Principle 5 Assure that qualification and disqualification

are easy for jurors and efficient for

court personnel ..........................................................26

PART II: SUMMONING JURORS

Principle 6 Each county’s jury summons provides

the same information to, and collects the

same information from, summoned jurors .................30

Principle 7 Maintain an adequate inventory of summonses ........32

Principle 8 Mail summonses in a timely manner..........................34

Principle 9 Use follow-up mailings and noncomplianceproceedings to reduce non-response

to summonses ............................................................36

Principle 10 Maintain a three-month supply of

available-to-summon qualified jurors .........................38

Principle 11 Assure that procedures for postponing serviceor excusal from service are easy for jurors

and efficient for court personnel ................................40

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/JUD500TXJUD0500.html


http://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/chiefadmin/128.shtml#06


http://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/chiefadmin/128.shtml#06a


BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PRINCIPLES 3

Principle 12 Maintain timely communication with

prospective and summoned jurors.............................43

Principle 13 Jurors are provided for service in town and village courts based on close

and consistent communication between

town or village court personnel and

Commissioners of Jurors ...........................................46

PART III: WHEN JURORS APPEAR FOR SERVICE

Principle 14 Assure that only qualified jurorsare sent to voir dire ....................................................52

Principle 15 Give jurors enough information so they

understand their responsibilities and are

aware of how their time will be used .........................54

Principle 16 Provide facilities that are comfortable

and dignified and, wherever possible,

enhance jurors’ ability to make

productive use of their time .......................................56

PART IV: UTILIZING JURORS

Principle 17 Jurors’ term of service should be as short as

possible and they should be summoned as

infrequently as possible..............................................58

Principle 18 Commissioners of Jurors use communication

with court personnel to assure that the number

of jurors told to appear in court is consistent

with the number needed for jury selections...............60

PART V: PROCESSING PAYROLL

Principle 19 Assure timely processing of juror payments ..............64







NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • STANDARDS 5

Standards


Standard 1.1 No more than 15% of qualification questionnaires mailed in counties

with a population greater than 900,000 and 10% of qualification

questionnaires mailed elsewhere should be undeliverable.

Standard 2.1At least 90% of jurors who appear in court should be sent to jury

selection.

Standard 2.2In counties where jurors are summoned on a regular basis to meet the

needs of a number of judges (as opposed to those counties where

jurors are summoned only for specific scheduled trials) the number of

“on-call” jurors who receive good service credit should be no more

than 30% greater than the number of jurors required to appear.

Standard 2.3The rate at which questionnaires result in qualified jurors varies by

size of population. For counties with populations greater than

900,000, the minimum qualification rate is 30%. For counties with

population between 200,000 and 900,000 the minimum qualification

rate is 40%. For the remaining counties the minimum qualification

rate is 50%. (See chart below.)

30%

Bronx Erie Kings Nassau New York Queens Suffolk Westchester

40%

AlbanyDutchessMonroeNiagaraOneidaOnondagaOrange RensselaerRichmondRocklandSaratogaUlster

50%

All othercounties

Minimum rate at which questionnaires result in qualified jurors


Standard 3.1The percentage of jurors removed from the available-to-summon

pool if not summoned within 19 months and made eligible to

receive a qualification questionnaire should thereby be less than

5% of the total number of jurors who have been in the pool in a

year.

Standard 4.1Questionnaires should be scanned along with appropriate manual

entry within 10 weeks after mailing.

Standard 4.2Non-response to questionnaires after follow-up should be no

more than 10%.

Standard 4.3Questionnaire follow-up mailings should increase qualification

rate by 5% to 15%.

Standard 4.4Questionnaire noncompliance notices are mailed no more than

30 weeks after initial mailing. For example,

Jan 1 . . . .Initial Mailing

Mar 15 . . . . .2nd Notice – Reminder

May 1 . . . .3rd Notice – Subpoena

Jul 30 . . . . .Noncompliance Notice

Standard 5.1In order to qualify as a juror a person must: 1. Be a citizen of the

United States, and a resident of the county. 2. Be not less than

eighteen years of age. 3. Not have been convicted of a felony. 4.

Be able to understand and communicate in the English language.

Standard 5.2Proof of non-citizenship includes a visa, passport, employmentauthorization card or permanent resident card.

continued


Standard 5.3Proof of non-residence includes at least two of the following: mort-

gage, deed, lease, utility bills, copy of state tax return with amounts

deleted.

Standard 5.4Proof of inability to understand and communicate in English is

obtained according to the Guidelines for Assessing Potential Jurors’

Ability to Understand and Communicate in the English Language.

Available at www.nyjuror.gov.

Standard 5.5A prison sentence of more than one year and/or probation for more

than five years, without Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities or aCertificate of Good Conduct, are acceptable proof of a prior felony

conviction. Commissioners also use court resources to research

claims of felony status.

Standard 6.1Each county’s jury summons includes each of the 26 elements

developed by the Jury Support Office in consultation with

Commissioners.

Standard 7.1Counties or their hubs should keep on hand supplies of all

summonses, including generic summonses.

Standard 7.2Summons orders should allow for a six-month supply plus a two-

month surplus.

Standard 8.1Except in case of emergency, prospective jurors must be given at

least 14 days notice of their service in accordance with Rule 128.6(c)of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge.

continued


http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLCOR0A23.html



Standard 9.1Summons follow-up mailings should reduce non-response to

summonses to no more than 10%.

Standard 9.2A noncompliance notice is sent: 1) after non-response to no

more than two summonses (first and second); and, 2) no more

than 24 weeks after first summons was sent. For example:

Jan 1 . . . .First Notice

Mar 26 . . . .Second Notice

Jun 18 . . . .Noncompliance Notice

Standard 10.1Monitor numbers of:

• qualified jurors in the available-to-summon pool,

• summonses to be sent, and

• jurors called to appear in court.

Standard 11.1Each prospective juror is entitled to receive, upon request, oneautomatic postponement from jury service to a date not more

than six months after the date summoned.

Standard 11.2Except under extraordinary circumstances no more than threepostponements of jury service are granted.

Standard 11.3The aggregate period of postponement granted may not be more

than 18 months.

Standard 11.4Unless there is a permanent excusal, or a discretionary excusal,

the period of time for excusal is two years.

continued







Standard 12.1Each summoned juror should be assigned a unique sequential caller

number and be placed on call.

Standard 12.2At least two members of the Commissioner’s staff must be able to

make changes to emergency telephone and website messages from

a remote location.

Standard 13.1Recommended number of jurors to appear in a town or village court

is 25. Requests for more than 25 jurors to appear in court are

explained in writing on the Town and Village Juror Request Form

available at the Town and Village Resource Center.

Standard 13.2Town or village requests for panels should be made no less than three

weeks and no more than four weeks before a scheduled trial.

Standard 13.3As it becomes available, town or village clerks or justices use the

online Town and Village Juror Request form to submit juror requests

to the Commissioner of Jurors.

Standard 13.4Town or village court personnel return completed UCS-118 or online

Juror Request form along with relevant documentation no more than

one week after panel has been used or cancelled.

Standard 13.5Commissioners and town and village court clerks and/or justices

meet every six months to review juror utilization and other

operational matters.

Standard 14.1Where there is any question about a prospective juror’s ability to

understand and communicate in English, the Commissioner defers

to the trial judge for final decision.

Standard 14.2Prospective jurors are asked about qualifications four times: qualifi-

cation questionnaire, summons, commissioners oral questions dur-

ing juror orientation, and judges oral questions.

continued

http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/townandvillage




Standard 15.1A Petit Juror’s Handbook is handed to each prospective petit juror.

Standard 15.2A Grand Juror’s Handbook is handed to each prospective grand

juror.

Standard 15.3Commissioner makes verbal status reports to jurors in the jury

assembly room at least every hour.

Standard 15.4All jurors appearing for petit juror service should be asked to com-

plete the court-provided juror background questionnaire as a tool to

expedite voir dire. UCS-140 is used for civil and criminal trials. UCS-

724 is used for Article 10 Cases.

Standard 16.1The number of chairs in the jury assembly room must be equal to or

greater than the number of jurors expected to report.

Standard 16.2Water fountains or water coolers should always be available to

jurors.

Standard 16.3Like everything else in the courthouse, jury facilities must be ADA compliant.

Standard 17.1

The term of service for petit jurors is one-day-one-trial or no more

than five days on-call.

Standard 17.2All serving jurors receive a minimum of six years ineligibility from

service per Judiciary Law §524. Serving jurors are those who appear

in court and those who complete their service by telephone call-in.

continued

http://www.nyjuror.gov/general-information/hbPetitJuror42007.pdf

http://www.nyjuror.gov/general-information/hbGrandJuror42007.pdf

http://www.nycourts.gov/accessibility/index.shtml





Standard 17.3Request for countywide exemption from the statutory six-year

ineligibility requirement must be made in writing to the District

Administrative Judge after consultation with the Jury Support Office.

Standard 18.1A Voir Dire/Trial Data Form (UCS-114 for civil cases; UCS-117 for

criminal cases) is completed for every panel drawn for selection –

whether or not a jury is selected or questions are asked.

Standard 18.2Average panel size for civil trials is no more than 28.

Standard 18.3Average panel size for criminal trials is no more than:

A Felony . . . . . . . . . . . .79

B–C Felony . . . . . . . . .65

D–E Felony . . . . . . . . .55

Misdemeanor . . . . . . . .44

Standard 18.4At least 80% of jurors who appear in court should be sent to voir

dire within four hours of their arrival in court.

Standard 18.5No more than five days should elapse between empanelling a jury

and beginning the trial.

Standard 19.1Process payroll within five days of completion of service.

Standard 19.2Where service is longer than five days, interim payments are made.



NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART I: QUALIFYING JURORS 15

PART I: Qualifying Jurors

continued

a. Compiling source lists and mailingquestionnaires is performed central-ly under supervision of the JurySupport Office.

b. As many source lists are used as ispossible and productive. Source listscurrently used pursuant to use anddissemination agreements withappropriate state agencies include:registered voters, Department ofMotor Vehicles issued driver’slicenses and identification cards,New York State tax filers, and recipi-ents of unemployment insuranceand welfare assistance.

c. Assure that the data file for eachsource list includes all fields that areuseful for duplicate detection andproper addressing. (E.g. social secu-rity number, apartment number,name suffix).

d. Monitor source lists for age and foraccuracy of names and addresses.

e. Use duplicate detection methodsto minimize the number of potentialjurors sent more than one question-naire.i. Implement duplicate detection at

least once a year.

Standard 1.1No more than 15%of qualificationquestionnairesmailed in countieswith a populationgreater than 900,000and 10% of qualifi-cation question-naires mailed else-where should beundeliverable.

The people to whom qualification questionnairesare sent should be representative of the coun-ty’s population.

PRINCIPLE 1:


PRACTICES STANDARD

continued



PRINCIPLE 1 continued


PRACTICES STANDARD

NOTES:

ii. Monitor duplicate detection foraccuracy and completeness.

iii. Regularly evaluate duplicatedetection criteria.

f. Address-cleanse data files morethan once a year.

g. Monitor health department recordsof deaths and compare to sourcelists.

h. Commissioners monitor numbers ofquestionnaires returned as undeliv-erable, not found, or deceased andreport unusually high incidences tothe Jury Support Office.

i. Questionnaires returned as “unde-liverable” or “not found” wherefeasible should be sent a speciallyflagged second mailing to confirm“undeliverable” or “not found” status.

a. Qualification questionnaires aremailed from RTP (Division ofTechnology) within three to fivedays of scheduled printing day.Each county has a scheduled day.Commissioners decide the num-ber of questionnaires to be printedand mailed.

b. Perform felony record checkson all jurors who qualify and onall those who claim to be disquali-fied due to a felony conviction.

c. Regularly evaluate whethernumber of qualified jurors:1) in qualified pool is too high or

too low2) summoned is too high or too

low3) called to appear in court is too

high or too low4) given good service credit is

too high.d. Use historical data to project

number of jurors to summon andtherefore to qualify.

e. Project the number of question-naires to send in a given periodby applying standards 2.1, 2.2,and 2.3 to calculate numbers of:qualification questionnaires and

Standard 2.1At least 90% ofjurors who appear in court should be sent to jury selection.

Standard 2.2In counties wherejurors are summonedon a regular basis tomeet the needs of anumber of judges (asopposed to thosecounties wherejurors are summonedonly for specificscheduled trials) thenumber of “on-call”jurors who receivegood service creditshould be no morethan 30% greaterthan the number ofjurors required toappear.

Mail enough qualification questionnaires to maintain a three-month supply of qualified (available-to-summon) jurors.

PRINCIPLE 2:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued continued


summonses to send, and number ofjurors to appear in court. The calcu-lation is based on numbers of petitjurors from a preceding period: num-ber sent to voir dire, number calledto appear in court, number whoreceived good service credit, andnumber summoned to grand, petit,or town and village service.

f. Regularly monitor “available-to-summon” jurors, taking intoaccount changes in conditions. Ifavailable-to-summon pool is toolarge, consider: Has the number ofjudges or trials decreased? Have toomany qualification questionnairesbeen mailed? Has the qualificationrate increased? If available-to-sum-mon pool is too small, consider: Hasthe number of judges or trialsincreased? Has the size of panelsrequested for voir dire increased?

g. If there is a decrease in judges ortrials, then the number of question-naires mailed should also decrease.Similarly, if the qualification rateincreases, then the number of ques-tionnaires mailed can be decreased.

h. If there is an increase in judges ortrials then the number of question-naires mailed should increase. If the

Standard 2.3The rate at whichquestionnairesresult in qualifiedjurors varies by size of population. For counties with populations greaterthan 900,000, theminimum qualifica-tion rate is 30%. For counties withpopulations between200,000 and 900,000the minimum qualification rate is40%. For the remain-ing counties theminimum qualifica-tion rate is 50%.(See chart, page 20.)


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued


size of requested panels increases,Commissioners are encouraged todiscuss this with the supervising oradministrative judge.

i. Commissioners carefully reviewweekly JMS Juror Inventory Reportshowing: source list names available;qualified jurors available to summon,in postponement status, in servingstatus; and jurors disqualified as aresult of good service. The report alsoprovides statistics on outstandingquestionnaires, delinquent prospec-tive jurors, and numbers permanentlyand temporarily disqualified.

PRACTICES STANDARDS

30%Bronx Erie Kings Nassau New York Queens Suffolk Westchester

40%AlbanyDutchessMonroeNiagaraOneidaOnondagaOrange RensselaerRichmondRocklandSaratogaUlster

50%All othercounties

Minimum rate at which questionnaires result in qualified jurors

Standard 2.3



NOTES:


Qualified jurors not used after19 months from the date whenthe last qualification question-naire was sent are automati-cally removed from the avail-able-to-summon pool by theJury Management System(JMS).

Standard 3.1The percentage of jurorsremoved from the available-to-summon pool if not summonedwithin 19 months andthereby made eligible toreceive a qualificationquestionnaire should beless than 5% of the totalnumber of jurors whohave been in the pool ina year.

Qualified jurors not summoned to serve within a setperiod of time automatically become eligible toreceive a new qualification questionnaire.

PRINCIPLE 3:

PRACTICE STANDARD

NOTES:


NOTES:

a. A follow-up “reminder notice”questionnaire is automatically sentto those who do not respond to thefirst questionnaire within 10 weeks.

b. Use scanners to enter qualification,disqualification and non-deliverabledata into JMS. Manual data entry isnecessary only for name or addresschanges or giving service credit tojurors who served in other courts.

c. Use the JMS QuestionnaireResponse Report to monitor dataentry. The report details currentrates of qualification, disqualifica-tion, returns from the post office(not-founds), and non response foreach batch of questionnaires thathas been queued.

d. Monitor non-response and qualifi-cation rates. Report final non-response rate above the 10% stan-dard to the Jury Support Office forreview.

e. Commissioners may choose touse up to three follow-up mailings toincrease questionnaire responserates without conducting noncompli-ance hearings.

f. At Commissioner’s discretion, non-compliance proceedings may beimplemented.

Standard 4.1Questionnairesshould be scannedalong with appropri-ate manual entrywithin 10 weeksafter mailing.

Standard 4.2Non-response toquestionnaires afterfollow-up should beno more than 10%.

Standard 4.3Questionnaire fol-low-up mailingsshould increasequalification rate by5% to 15%.

Use follow-up mailings and noncompliance proceedings to reduce non-response to qualification questionnaires.

PRINCIPLE 4:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued continued




g. If follow-up mailingsfail to increase over-all qualification rateby at least 5%, con-duct a cost-benefitanalysis to evaluatehow much follow-up isappropriate.

h. Commissioners maychoose to qualifypotential jurors who donot respond to follow-up questionnaires thatare not returned bythe post office.

Standard 4.4Questionnaire noncompliancenotices are mailed no more than 30weeks after initial mailing. For example,

Jan 1 . . . .Initial Mailing

Mar 15 . . . .2nd Notice – Reminder

May 1 . . . .3rd Notice – Subpoena

Jul 30 . . . .Noncompliance Notice

PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:


a. Make qualification anddisqualification byphone and by webavailable to allprospective jurors.

b. Inform prospectivejurors on qualificationquestionnaires whatproof is necessary tosupport a claim of dis-qualification.

c. Some counties includedriver’s license asacceptable proof of resi-dence in New York City.Commissioners have dis-cretion to require taxreturns as proof of non-residence.

d. A written negativeresponse to the qualifica-tion questionnaire ques-tion regarding ability tounderstand and com-municate in English isnot proof of disqualifica-tion. Appropriate lan-guage screening is con-ducted orally as part ofqualification or whenjuror appears inresponse to a summons.

Standard 5.1In order to qualify as a juror aperson must: 1. Be a citizen ofthe United States, and a resi-dent of the county. 2. Be notless than eighteen years ofage. 3. Not have been convict-ed of a felony. 4. Be able tounderstand and communicatein the English language.

Standard 5.2Proof of non-citizenshipincludes a visa, passport,employment authorization cardor permanent resident card.

Standard 5.3Proof of non-residenceincludes at least two of the fol-lowing: mortgage, deed, lease,utility bills. Some countiesinclude driver’s license asacceptable proof of residencein New York City.

Standard 5.4Proof of inability to under-stand and communicate in

Assure that qualification and disqualification are easy for jurors and efficient for court personnel.

PRINCIPLE 5:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continuedcontinued

www.nyjuror.gov

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d502194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=1847c9ee2f82b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART I– QUALIFYING JURORS 27

e. A Convicted felon who has aCertificate of Relief from CivilDisabilities or a Certificate of GoodConduct is eligible to serve as ajuror.(1991 Op. Atty. Gen. 10).

English is obtainedaccording to theGuidelines forAssessing PotentialJurors’ Ability toUnderstand andCommunicate in theEnglish Language.Available at page 22 ofImplementing NewYork’s Civil Voir DireLaw and Rules.

Standard 5.5A prison sentence ofmore than one yearand/or probation formore than fiveyears, withoutCertificate of Relieffrom Civil Disabilitiesor a Certificate ofGood Conduct, areacceptable proof ofa prior felony con-viction.Commissioners also use courtresources toresearch claims offelony status.


PRACTICES STANDARDS

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/publications/pdfs/ImplementingVoirDire2009.pdf




NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART II: SUMMONING JURORS 29

PART II: Summoning Jurors

a. Avoid repetition of information insummonses.

b. Summons design should empha-size readability. Consistent use offonts and styles, limited use of color(no more than two colors includingblack) and wise use of space(including use of blank space) allcontribute to readability.

Standard 6.1Each county’s jurysummons includeseach of the 26 summons elementsdeveloped by theJury Support Officein consultation withCommissioners.These elements areavailable to commis-sioners on the JurySupport Office sec-tion of UCS Intranet.

Each county’s jury summons provides the sameinformation to, and collects the same informa-tion from, summoned jurors.

PRINCIPLE 6:


PRACTICES STANDARD

NOTES:


NOTES:


a. Summonses for all 62 counties areprinted twice a year by an outsidevendor. According to contract, tominimize printing costs, the vendorwill not print summonses until allcounties have submitted a pur-chase order and approved a finalproof.

b. Commissioners order their ownsummonses and monitor their ownsummons usage.

c. Boxes of summonses should benumbered and inventory regularlyreviewed.

d. Hub counties monitor satellitecounties’ inventory.

e. Commissioners may order colorcoded summonses for grand, petit,city or district courts.

f. A generic petit jury summons isavailable from the Jury SupportOffice for use in all courts.

Standard 7.1Counties or theirhubs should keepon hand supplies ofall summonses,including genericsummonses.

Standard 7.2Summons ordersshould allow for asix-month supplyplus a two-monthsurplus.

Maintain an adequate inventory of summonses.

PRINCIPLE 7:

PRACTICES STANDARD


NOTES:


Prospective jurors need adequatenotice to inform employers thatthey have been summoned and tomake their own plans but not somuch notice that they overlook orforget about the summons.

Standard 8.1Except in case of emergency, prospectivejurors must be given atleast 14 days notice oftheir service in accor-dance with Rule 128.6(c)of the Rules of the ChiefAdministrative Judge.

Mail summonses in a timely manner.

PRINCIPLE 8:

PRACTICE STANDARD

NOTES:



NOTES:


a. Jurors who do not respondto a summons are sent afollow-up mailing (letteror summons) no laterthan 12 weeks after theinitial summons wasmailed.

b. Assure that follow-upmailings are sent only toactual non-responders bytimely data entry of allupdated summons infor-mation, including returnsfrom the post office (not-found), postponementsand excusals.

c. Noncompliance noticescan give the juror theoption to call or to appearin person to schedule adate certain for service orto request a hearing date.

d. Commissioners exercisediscretion to:• send noncompliance

notice after first or sec-ond summons;

• use follow-up mailingsonly without conduct-ing noncompliancehearings.

Standard 9.1Summons follow-up shouldreduce non-response to summonses to no more than 10%.

Standard 9.2A noncompliance notice issent: 1) after non-response tono more than two summonses(first and second); and, 2) no more than 24 weeksafter first summons was sent.For example:

Jan 1 . . .First Notice

Mar 26 . . .Second Notice

Jun 18 . . .NoncomplianceNotice

Use follow-up mailings and noncompliance proceedings to reduce non-response to summonses.

PRINCIPLE 9:

PRACTICES STANDARDS



NOTES:


a. If there is less than a three-monthsupply of available-to-summonjurors, the Commissioner must dis-cover why. Adjustments may beappropriate in numbers of qualifica-tion questionnaires sent, numbers ofsummonses sent, or numbers ofjurors called to appear in court.

b. Many factors can lead to inefficientjuror summoning and usage.Consider the following questions. Isthe number of jurors given goodservice credit more than 30%greater than the number of jurorsrequired to appear? If so, why? Are90% of the jurors called to appear incourt sent to voir dire? Has therebeen an increase in routinelyrequested panel sizes?

c. Commissioners monitor panelsizes and consult with supervisingor administrative judges when thereis an increase in size of panels rou-tinely requested.

Standard 10.1Monitor number of: • qualified jurors inthe available-to-summon pool,

• summonses to besent, and

• jurors called toappear in court.

Maintain a three-month supply of available-to-summon qualified jurors.

PRINCIPLE 10:

PRACTICES STANDARD


NOTES:

a. Postponement or excusal fromjury service may be granted by theCommissioner or by a judge inaccordance with §128.6-a of theRules of the Chief AdministrativeJudge.

b. All summoned jurors may use theDIRAD telephone system or theInternet to request and schedule afirst postponement.

c. Commissioners monitor the DIRADsystem to assure accuracy of avail-able dates.

d. Postponements requested throughDIRAD or the Internet are automat-ically entered into the JuryManagement System.Postponements granted throughdirect contact with the juror (in per-son, by telephone or by e-mail) areentered manually.

e. Second or subsequent requestsfor postponement are granted at thediscretion of the Commissioner or ajudge.

f. Postponements lasting longer than18 months are not permitted.

Standard 11.1Each prospectivejuror is entitled toreceive, uponrequest, one auto-matic postponementfrom jury service toa date not more thansix months after thedate summoned.

Standard 11.2Except underextraordinary cir-cumstances nomore than threepostponements ofjury service aregranted.

Standard 11.3The aggregate peri-od of postponementgranted may not bemore than 18months.

Assure that procedures for postponing serviceor excusal from service are easy for jurors and efficient for court personnel.

PRINCIPLE 11:

PRACTICES STANDARDS


continued continued


www.nyjuror.gov








g. Except in extraordinary circum-stances, postponements are onlygranted before a juror’s scheduleddate of service.

h. Grounds for excusal from servicemust be documented. Reasons forexcusal are explained in theComments section of the JuryManagement System. Once in theJMS system, paper documentationcan be destroyed in accordance withRecords Retention and DispositionSchedule Numbers 90105 and90232.

i. Most excusals are granted for twoyears. Categories of temporaryexcusal (as described in §128.6-a ofthe Rules of the ChiefAdministrative Judge) include:Caregiver, Medical, Financial,Transportation, Needs of the Publicand Clergy. Prospective jurors onactive military service away fromtheir county of residence are givenexcusal based on “needs of thepublic.”

j Commissioners may give excusalsas long as 10 years at their discre-tion. This discretionary authority israrely exercised.

Standard 11.4Unless there is apermanent excusal,or a discretionaryexcusal, the periodof time for excusalis two years.

PRACTICES STANDARDS


continued

http://www.nycourts.gov/admin/recordsmanagement/court_records/JURY2006.pdf


k. Jurors temporarily excusedbecome eligible to receive a newqualification questionnaire as soonas the excusal period has ended.

l. A judge hearing an application forpostponement or excusal expedi-tiously provides written notice of hisor her determination to theCommissioner.



PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:


a. Telephone or e-mail messagesfrom jurors should be retrieved andresponded to several times a day.

b. All summoned jurors should beplaced on-call so they may beinformed in advance of changes inthe need for their appearance.

c. Maintain contact with local newsoutlets to assure that announce-ments are made about court closingsaffecting jurors.

d. Commissioners maintain their ownlocal websites accessible throughwww.nyjuror.gov.1) The technical manual for

Commissioners explains how tonavigate and make changes inthe local jury website. That manu-al is accessed with the user nameand password supplied by theJury Support Office.

2) Each Commissioner of Jurors hasone username and password to beused by all members of the staffwho require access to the website.

3) Local personnel are responsiblefor posting messages regardingany local emergency. Postingsfor statewide emergencies will bemade by OCA personnel.

Standard 12.1Each summonedjuror should beassigned a uniquesequential callernumber and beplaced on call.

Standard 12.2At least two members ofCommissioner’sstaff must be able tomake changes toemergency tele-phone and websitemessages from aremote location.

Maintain timely communication with prospective and summoned jurors.

PRINCIPLE 12:

PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued

4) The daily message tellingjurors whether or not toappear in court is updated asnecessary, which may be several times a day.

5) Local jury website informa-tion should be consistent withbut not limited to informationcontained on questionnairesand summonses.

6) Website information mustbe current, includingCommissioner’s name andphone number.

7) Local websites can includeup to three links to other websites.

PRACTICES STANDARDS



NOTES:


NOTES:


a. Form UCS-118 is used by townand village court clerks to requestjurors and returned byCommissioners with the request-ed panel. In 2009 an online JurorRequest Form will be available toall Commissioners and Town andVillage courts at the Town andVillage Resource Center website.After the panel is used or can-celled the completed form isreturned to the Commissioner.The Jury Support Office con-ducts utilization analysis.

b. Panel requests made too far inadvance will be returned to townor village court with a requestthat it be re-submitted within theprescribed time period.

c. Although every effort is made tosummon jurors from the localtown or village to appear in thattown or village’s court, jurorsmay be summoned to appear ina town or village court from any-where in the county.

d. Each commissioner determines,based on local yields, the num-ber of summonses to mail to

Standard 13.1Recommended num-ber of jurors toappear in a town orvillage court is 25.Requests for morethan 25 jurors toappear in court areexplained in writingon the Town andVillage JurorRequest Form (UCS-118) available at theTown and VillageResource Center.

Standard 13.2Town or villagerequests for panelsshould be made noless than threeweeks and no morethan four weeksbefore a scheduledtrial.

Jurors are provided for service in town and villagecourts based on close and consistent communi-cation between town or village court personneland Commissioners of Jurors.

PRINCIPLE 13:

PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued continued


http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/townandvillage/

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/townandvillage/


continued


assure that the requested number ofjurors appears for service.

e. Town or village summonses may bemailed by the town or village court,the County Commissioner or a hubcounty responsible for summonsmailings for multiple counties.

f. Commissioners send materials totown/village court clerks in accor-dance with local practice. Thesemay include: • Instructional memo • Attendance Report • Abbreviated Panel Report • Sign-in Sheet• Ballots• Petit Juror Handbooks and Jury

Information for Employers• Summonses – if the local court is

responsible for mailing• A blank summons or a photocopy

so the local clerk can see exactlywhat is included on the summons-es mailed

• The UCS-118 or online JurorRequest Form.

Standard 13.3As it becomes avail-able, town or villageclerks or justicesuse the online Townand Village JurorRequest form tosubmit jurorrequests to theCommissioner ofJurors.

Standard 13.4

Town or villagecourt personnelreturn completedUCS-118 or onlineJuror Request Formalong with relevantdocumentation nomore than sevendays after panel hasbeen used or can-celled.

PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued



g. The DIRAD telephone system forobtaining one postponement to adate certain is available to jurorssummoned for town or village court.Jurors postponing through DIRADwill be summoned to serve in county or supreme court.

h. Jurors summoned to town or villagecourt may be granted a temporaryexcusal from service by town or village court personnel. Temporarilyexcused jurors are returned to theAvailable to Summon Pool and areeligible to be summoned again for petit, grand or town or villageservice.

i. Temporary excusals are noted onthe Attendance Report.

j. Requests for long term or perma-nent excusal from service by townor village court jurors are referred tothe Commissioner for decision.

k. No more than seven days after apanel is used or cancelled, town orvillage court personnel return to theCommissioner the same materialssent to the local court, along with:completed summonses; UCS-219

Standard 13.5Commissioners andtown and villagecourt clerks and/orjustices meet everysix months to reviewjuror utilization andother operationalmatters.


PRACTICES STANDARDS


continued



PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:

forms for jurors who appeared with-out summonses; documentationregarding change of address orrequests for excusal; and, any unde-liverable summonses.

l. Jurors who are summoned to townor village court are eligible to receiveup to six years good service credit.

m. Assistive Listening Devices and tele-phone answering machines are pro-vided to town and village courts bythe Jury Support Office.


NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART III: WHEN JURORS APPEAR FOR SERVICE 51

PART III: When Jurors Appearfor Service

a. Juror qualifications are alwaysreviewed in juror orientation.

b. Jurors who say they cannot understand and communicatein English, are interviewed in accordance with the Guidelinesfor Assessing Jurors’ Ability toUnderstand and Communicate in theEnglish Language, available at page 22 of Implementing New York’s Civil Voir Dire Law and Rules.

c. To be seated as juror, a convictedfelon would have to knowingly lie sev-eral times. Prospective jurors areasked about qualifications four times:qualification questionnaire, summons,commissioner’s oral questions duringjuror orientation, and judge’s oralquestions. A party who believes that a juror is not qualified must objectbefore the first witness is sworn.Even where the party does not learnof disqualifying facts until later, thejury’s verdict will not be automaticallyoverturned (see People v. Cosmos,98 N.E. 408 (1911) [juror too old];People v. Mack, 35 A.D. 114 (1898)[juror fell within prohibited degree ofconsanguinity]; People v. Harris, 57N.Y.2d 335 (1982) [juror had a closerelationship with prosecutor]; People ex

Standard 14.1Where there is anyquestion about aprospective juror’sability to understandand communicate in English, theCommissionerdefers to the trialjudge for final decision.

Assure that only qualified jurors are sent to voir dire.

PRINCIPLE 14:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued





rel. Ostwald v. Craver, 188 Misc. 5(1946) [juror not a citizen]. However,where a defendant can establishactual bias caused by the juror beingseated, the defendant is entitled to anew trial (see People v Mercado, 290A.D.2d 237). To establish actualbias, a defendant likely will berequired to show, at a court-orderedhearing, that the juror deliberately liedduring voir dire and that the juror liedin an effort to serve on the jury forsome improper purpose (see e.g.,Young v United States, 694 A.2d891). Two jurisdictions have heldthat a challenge to a juror based onthe juror’s prior felony conviction iswaived if not made before the firstwitness is sworn (see Lollar v. State,422 So.2d 809 [Ala.Cr.App.]; Ford v.United States, 5th Cir., 201 F.2d 300).However, courts will reverse a judg-ment if the defendant can show preju-dice caused by the juror’s being seat-ed. Cases finding prejudice almostalways reveal evidence that the jurordeliberately lied during voir dire.


PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:

a. Petit juror orientation includes fourelements.1) A judge welcoming the jurors to

service. 2) Jury personnel welcoming

jurors, explaining logistics, andreviewing qualifications.

3) Showing the petit jury orienta-tion DVD.

4) Giving printed pamphlets toeach juror, including the PetitJuror’s Handbook and JuryInformation for Employers.These pamphlets are the jurorsto keep.

b. Grand juror orientation includes thefollowing four elements.1) Jury personnel welcoming

jurors, explaining logistics, andreviewing qualifications.

2) Showing the grand jury orienta-tion DVD.

3) Giving printed pamphlets to eachgrand juror including the GrandJuror’s Handbook, which includesCriminal Procedure Law §190,and telling jurors that these pam-phlets are theirs to keep. In addi-tion, the pamphlet Jury

Standard 15.1A Petit Juror’sHandbook is handedto each prospectivepetit juror.

Standard 15.2A Grand Juror’sHandbook is handedto each prospectivegrand juror.

Standard 15.3Commissionermakes verbal statusreports to jurors injury assembly roomat least every hour.

Standard 15.4All jurors appearingfor petit jury serviceshould be asked tocomplete the court-provided juror back-ground question-naire as a tool toexpedite voir dire.UCS-140 is used forcivil and

Give jurors enough information so they understand their responsibilities and are aware of how their time will be used.

PRINCIPLE 15:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

continued continued

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLCPL0P2TIA190.html





Information for Employers shouldbe given to all grand jurors.

4) Introduction, empanellinginstructions by a judge.

c. All pamphlets and films are avail-able online at www.nyjuror.gov.

d. DVD players and TV monitors forshowing orientation films are avail-able from the Jury Support Office.

e. Completed juror backgroundquestionnaires are available tocourt and counsel in all cases.

criminal trials. UCS-724 is used forArticle 10 Cases.

PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:



http://www.inside-ucs.org/oca/JurySupport/Jury_forms/UCS724.pdf


a. Assure that jury assembly areasare well-maintained and as com-fortable as possible.

b. Provide amenities such as quietwork areas, computer terminals andInternet access. PCs, laptops, orworkstations for jurors’ use areavailable from the Jury SupportOffice.

c. Jury Support Office provides Assistive Listening Devices andInterpretype Units (ITY) toCommissioners.

d. Maintain regular communicationwith building management regardingconditions and maintenance.

e. Make efforts to provide adequateparking for summoned jurors.

Standard 16.1The number ofchairs in the juryassembly roommust be equal to orgreater than thenumber of jurorsexpected to report.

Standard 16.2Water fountains orwater coolersshould always beavailable to jurors.

Standard 16.3Like everything elsein the courthouse,jury facilities mustbe ADA compliant.

PRINCIPLE 16:


Provide facilities that are comfortable and digni-fied and, wherever possible, enhance jurors’ abili-ty to make productive use of their time.

PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:


BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART IV: UTILIZING JURORS 57

PART IV: Utilizing Jurors

a. All summoned jurors shouldbe placed on-call and requiredto appear in court only asneeded.

b. Commissioners maintaincommunication with judgesand court staff to assure thatthe number of jurors told toappear in court is consistentwith the number needed forjury selections.

c. Commissioners evaluateeach day the need for jurorsfor the next day and makeappropriate telephone andInternet announcements.

d. Commissioners aim toincrease the period of ineligi-bility from service to morethan the statutority requiredsix years.

e. Any request for decrease inthe six-year ineligibility periodis based on careful analysis ofneed, including size ofprospective pool, number ofqualified jurors available-to-summon, and actual in-courtutilization.

Standard 17.1The term of service forpetit jurors is one-day-one-trial or up to five days on-call.

Standard 17.2All serving jurors receivea minimum of six yearsineligibility from serviceper Judiciary Law §524.Serving jurors are thosewho appear in court andthose who completetheir service by tele-phone call-in.

Standard 17.3Request for countywideexemption from the six-year statutory ineligibilityrequirement must bemade in writing to theDistrict Admi nistrativeJudge after consultationwith the Jury SupportOffice.


PRACTICES STANDARDS

PRINCIPLE 17:

Jurors’ term of service should be as short as possible and they should be summoned to serve as infrequently as possible.





NOTES:



Standard 18.1A Voir Dire/Trial Data Form iscompleted for every paneldrawn for selection – whetheror not a jury is selected orquestions are asked.

Standard 18.2Average panel size for civil trials is no more than 28.

Standard 18.3At least 80% of jurors whoappear in court should besent to voir dire within fourhours of their arrival in court.

Standard 18.4Average panel size for crimi-nal trials is no more than:

A Felony . . . . . . . 79B–C Felony. . . . . 65D–E Felony . . . . . 55Misdemeanor . . . 44

Standard 18.5No more than five days shouldelapse between empanelling ajury and beginning the trial.

PRINCIPLE 18:

PRACTICES STANDARDS

Commissioners of Jurors use communicationwith court personnel to assure that the numberof jurors told to appear in court is consistentwith the number needed for jury selections.

continued

a. Maintain communicationwith judges and court staffto assure that the numberof jurors told to appear incourt is consistent with thenumber needed for juryselections.

b. For each civil voir direincluding Summary JuryTrials a completed UCS-114is e-mailed to [email protected]. Foreach voir dire in a criminalcase or a civil confinementcase, a completed UCS-117 is e-mailed [email protected].

c. For Summary Jury Trialsa UCS-413 is also com-pleted and scanned [email protected].

d. Maintain communicationwith court clerks to monitorjuror utilization. Remindthem that UCS-114 andUCS-117 reports are usedin planning future qualifica-tion and summoning.



e. Monitor UCS-114 and UCS-117forms and quarterly reports postedon the UCS intranet.

f. Maintain communication withsupervising or administrative judgesto improve juror utilization.


PRACTICES STANDARDS

NOTES:


NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART V: PROCESSING PAYROLL 63

PART V: Processing Payroll

a. Maximize accuracy and efficient useof staff time by using attendancescanning for both grand and petitjurors.

b. Assure that data entry is accurateby reviewing JMS VerificationReports.

c. Use JMS Roster Report as a jurorattendance record.

d. Run a JMS Group Control Reportoccasionally to assure that allgroups have been finished andclosed out.

e. District offices approve all payrolldisbursements.

f. Communication regarding jurorpayroll between the Commissionerof Jurors and district offices is elec-tronic.

Standard 19.1Process payrollwithin five days of completion ofservice.

Standard 19.2When service islonger than fivedays, interim pay-ments are made.

Assure timely processing of juror payments.

PRINCIPLE 19:


PRACTICES STANDARDS

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • PART V: PROCESSING PAYROLL 65

NOTES:

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • APPENDIX A: FORMS 67

Appendix A: Forms


APPENDIX A: FORMS

Form Purpose Available From

Discussed

Principle Page

Qualification Questionnaires Qualify jurors RTP 2 18

Summonses Summon jurors OutsideVendor 8 34

UCS-114 Civil Voir Dire Trial Data Form Monitor voir dire practices,

panel size and utilization.Predict qualification and summoning needs.

Intranet 18 60UCS-117 Criminal Voir DireTrial Data Form*

UCS-118 Town and VillageJuror Request Form to bereplaced by online form in2009

Town or village court com-munication withCommissioner.

Intranet 13 46

UCS-140 Juror Questionnaire

4-part juror backgroundquestionnaire for use byjudge and attorneys toexpedite voir dire.

JurySupportOffice

15 54

UCS-219 Juror PaymentInformation Form

Filled out only by town or village juror without summons.

Intranet 13 48

UCS-413 Summary Jury TrialData Form

Monitor summary jury trials statewide. Intranet 18 60

UCS-724 Article 10 JurorQuestionnaire

For use by judge and attorneys in Article 10 pro-ceedings.

Intranet 15 55

* Should be used for Article 10 cases.


BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • APPENDIX B: EQUIPMENT 69

Appendix B: Equipment


APPENDIX B: EQUIPMENT

EquipmentWhich Office Supplies and Pays forEquipment and Maintenance

ADA Compliance

Assistive Listening Devices Jury Support Office

Interpretype Units (ITY) Jury Support Office

Technology for Jurors

DVD Players Jury Support Office

PCs & Laptops for Workstations Jury Support Office

TVs for Jury Assembly Rooms Jury Support Office

COJ Office Equipment

Monitors District Office

PCs District Office

Printers District Office

Questionnaire, Summons, and Juror Payroll Processing

Bar Code Scanners Jury Support Office

Detachers District Office

Microplex Printers District Office

Pressure Sealers District Office

Town and Village Equipment

Telephone Answering Machines Division of Technology

Assistive Listening Devices Division of Technology

mailto:[email protected]








BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • APPENDIX C: INTERNET REFERENCES 71

Appendix C: Internet References


APPENDIX C: INTERNET REFERENCES

ACCESSIBILITYhttp://www.nycourts.gov/accessibility/index.shtml

CIVIL VOIR DIRE LAW AND RULEShttp://www.courts.state.ny.us/publications/pdfs/ImplementingVoirDire2009.pdf

CORRECTIONS LAW ARTICLE 23http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLCOR0A23.html

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW ARTICLE 190http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLCPL0P2TIA190.html

JUDICIARY LAW ARTICLE 16http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/SLJUD0A16.html

GRAND JUROR HANDBOOKhttp://www.nyjuror.gov/general-information/hbGrandJuror42007.pdf

JURY INFORMATION WEBSITEwww.nyjuror.gov

PETIT JUROR HANDBOOKhttp://www.nyjuror.gov/general-information/hbPetitJuror42007.pdf

RECORDS RETENTION AND DISPOSITION SCHEDULEhttp://www.nycourts.gov/admin/recordsmanagement/court_records/JURY2006.pdf

RULES OF THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGEhttp://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/chiefadmin/128.shtml

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • APPENDIX C: INTERNET REFERENCES 73

U. S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES - WORK PERMIThttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d502194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=1847c9ee2f82b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

U. S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES - GREEN CARDhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

UNIFORM RULES FOR NYS TRIAL COURTS - CONDUCT OF VOIR DIREhttp://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/trialcourts/202.shtml#33

UNIFORM RULES FOR JURY SELECTION AND DELIBERATIONhttp://www.courts.state.ny.us/rules/trialcourts/220.shtml

TOWN AND VILLAGE RESOURCE CENTERhttp://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/townandvillage/

APPENDIX C: INTERNET REFERENCES continued

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d502194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=1847c9ee2f82b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • INDEX 75

Index


2 years, excusal for . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 413 month supply of jurors . . . . .2, 18, 383 weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 464 hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 604 weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 465 days

before scheduled printing . . . . . . .18between empaneling & beginning trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60interim payment . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 64on-call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 58

6 months supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 326 month postponement . . . . . . . . .9, 406 month review juror utilization . .10, 486 years ineligibility . . . . . . . . .11, 49, 587 days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47, 4810 years excusal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4112 weeks follow-up mailing . . . . . . . .3614 days notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 3418 months postponement . . . . . . .9, 4019 months removed from pool . . .7, 2226 elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 30

AA Felony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60ADA compliant . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 56, 70address cleanse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17adequate parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56administrative judge . . . .12, 20, 38, 61alien registration card . . . . . . . . . .7, 26amenities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56assembly room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Assistive Listening Devices . . . . . . . .56attendance report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47attendance scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . 64automated phone system . . . . . .40, 44automatic postponement . . . . . . . .9, 40available-to-summon pool . . . .2, 7, 18,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 22average panel size . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60

BB–C Felony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60

Ccall-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Certificate of Relief . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 27Chief Administrative Judge

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 34, 40, 41, 72citizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 26, 53, 73civil trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60civil voir dire . . . . . . . . . .27, 52, 60, 68color coded summonses . . . . . . . . . .32Commissioner’s

discretion . . . . . . . . . . .24, 36, 40–41communication . . . .3, 43, 46, 56, 60, 61countywide exemption . . . . . . . .12, 58court clerks . . . . . . . .10, 46, 47, 48, 60court closings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Criminal Procedure Law §190 . .54, 72criminal trials . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 12, 55criminal voir dire . . . . . . . . . . . . .60, 68

DD–E Felony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60daily message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44data entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 36, 64data form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60, 68date certain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36deed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 26DIRAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40, 48district office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64, 70disqualification . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 24, 26driver’s license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 26duplicate detection . . . . . . . . . . .16, 17DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54, 55, 70

Ee-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40, 43, 60emergency . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 10, 34, 43employers . . . . . . . . . . . .34, 47, 54, 55

INDEX


BEST PRACTICES FOR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS • INDEX 77

employment authorization card . . .7, 26English . . . . . . . . . .7, 8, 10, 26, 27, 52equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70excusal . . . . . . . .2, 9, 36, 40-42, 48-49

Ffelony . . . . .7, 8, 12, 18, 26, 27, 53, 60First Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 36five days

before scheduled printing . . . . . . .18between empaneling & beginning trial . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60interim payment after . . . . . . .12, 64on-call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 58

follow-up mailingssummons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 9, 36questionnaire . . . . . . . . . .2, 7, 24–25

forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49, 61, 68four hour wait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60

Ggeneric summonses . . . . . . . . . . .8, 32good service credit . . .6, 18–19, 38, 49grand juror orientation . . . . . . . . . . . .54Grand Juror’s Handbook . . . .11, 54, 72green card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Group Control Report . . . . . . . . . . . .64Guidelines for Assessing Potential

Jurors’ Ability to Understand andCommunicate . . . . . . . . . . .8, 27, 52

Hhealth department records . . . . . . . .17hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 36, 42historical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18hub counties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 32

Iineligibility period . . . . . . . . . .11, 12, 58initial mailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 25initial summons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36interim payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 64inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 32Inventory Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

JJMS . . . . . . . . . . .20, 22, 24, 40, 41, 64judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii, 8, 10, 12, 20,

34, 40, 41, 42, 52, 54, 55, 58judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii, iv, 6, 10, 18,

19, 38, 58, 60, 61Judiciary Law §524 . . . . . . . . . . .11, 58Juror Inventory Report . . . . . . . . . . .20juror orientation . . . . . . . . . . .10, 52, 54jury assembly areas . . . . . . .11, 54, 56Jury Information for Employers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47, 54, 55Jury Support Office . . .iii, 8, 12, 16, 17,

24, 30, 32, 43, 46, 49, 55, 56, 58, 68

Llanguage screening . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 26local emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43local news outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Mmisdemeanor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60monitor panel sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 26

NNew York City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26non-citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 26noncompliance notice . . . . .7, 9, 25, 36noncompliance proceedings . .2, 24, 36non-residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 26non-responder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36non-response . . . . . . . . .2, 7, 9, 24, 36“not found” questionnaires . . . . . .17, 24nyjuror.gov . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 43, 55, 72

Oon call jurors . . . . .6, 10-11, 18, 43, 58one-day-one-trial . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 58orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 52, 54outside vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32


Ppanel size . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 38, 60, 68parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56passport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 26password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43payroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 64permanent excusal . . . . . . . . .9, 41, 48permanent resident card . . . . . . . .7, 26petit juror orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Petit Juror’s Handbook . .11, 47, 54, 72postponement . . . . . . .9, 36, 40-42, 48 printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32processing payroll . . . . . . . . . . . .63-64proof of disqualification . . . . . . . . . . .26

Qqualification by phone and web . . . . .26qualification questionnaires . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .2, 6, 16, 18-19, 24, 26qualification rate . . . . . . .6, 7, 19, 24-25 qualified jurors . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 3, 6, 9,

. . . . . . . . . . . . .18-20, 22, 38, 52, 58questionnaire follow-up

mailings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 24Questionnaire Response Report . . . .24

Rreadability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30records retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41reminder notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 41Roster Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Rule 128.6(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 34

Sscanners, scanning . . . . . .7, 24, 60, 70second notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 36service credit . . . . .6, 18–19, 24, 38, 49six years ineligibility . . . . . . . .11, 49, 58source lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17statewide emergencies . . . . . . . . . . .43subpoena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 25summoning jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . .29-49summons design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

summons elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30summons follow-up mailing . . . .2, 9, 36

Ttelephone call-in . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 58temporary excusal . . . . . . . . . . . .41, 48three-month supply

of jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 18, 38timely communication . . . . . . . . . .3, 43town and village

courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3, 10, 46, 49trial judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 52TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55, 70two years, excusal for . . . . . . . . . .9, 41

UUCS-114 . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60, 61, 68UCS-117 . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 60, 61, 68UCS-118 . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 46, 47, 68UCS-140 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 54, 68UCS-219 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48, 68UCS-413 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60, 68UCS-724 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 55, 68undeliverable

questionnaires . . . . . . . . . . .6, 16, 17undeliverable summonses . . . . . . . . .49user name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43utility bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 26

VVerification Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64visa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 26voir dire . . . . . . . . . . .3, 11, 12, 19, 27,

38, 52, 53, 54, 60, 68voter registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Wwater fountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 56 work authorization card . . . . . . . . .7, 26written notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42www.nyjuror.gov . . . . . . . .8, 43, 55, 72

jr ssem operaions - new york state unified court system · best practices for jury system...

Documents