Effective June 30, the City of Scottsdale and the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County will extend the jury services contract for another two years.
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Effective June 30, the City of Scottsdale and the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County will extend the jury services contract for another two years.
The Scottsdale City Council, at its June 16 meeting, consented to authorize the two-year extension between the two entities for the intergovernmental agreement that outlines specific provisions allowing the city’s municipal court to use jury services by the Superior Court.
Plus, a summons cost increase of $2.90 per summons will be added as of July 1 upon renewal, according to a city staff report.
The city initially entered into a contract with the Superior Court to provide jury services to the Scottsdale City Court from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016.
After the contract expired, it was amended and extended through June 30, 2018, then through June 30, 2020. The recent, third amendment to the renewal agreement, authorized by City Council, extends the arrangement through June 30, 2022.
The intergovernmental agreement enabling the shared responsibility of handling juror summonses may be renewed for up to two additional two-year terms, through June 30, 2024, according to the report, noting that the intergovernmental agreement may be renewed if the Superior Court is notified at least 90 days in advance of its expiration.
Pursuant to the Arizona Constitution, which “affords the criminal charged individual to be tried by a jury,” the report said the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County has historically provided jury services to the Scottsdale City Court through provisions of the intergovernmental agreement.
Except for the summons cost increase to occur upon renewal, all other provisions of the agreement reportedly remain in effect to include such details as:
The Superior Court’s involvement with printing and mailing a summons to the potential jurors;
Fielding phone calls about postponements, excuses and disqualifications;
Operating a phone number for prospective jurors to call, which is displayed on the summons, so people can listen to a recording regarding the specified date and time assigned; and
Processing payment of jury fees and mileage reimbursement.
Likewise, the Municipal Court will pay $2.90 for each summons printed and mailed by the Superior Court; reimburse the Superior Court for fees associated with disbursing payments for jury attendance and mileage, entering juror data and more.
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