Arizona - Jury Duty Laws, Jury Selection, Juror Qualification

In the American court system, criminal defendants are guaranteed the right to trial by a "jury of their peers". In Arizona, a pool of potential jurors is randomly selected from the local population of individuals eligible for jury duty.

Arizona state law requires that every juror, grand and trial, shall be:

• at least eighteen years of age
• be a citizen of the United States
• be a resident of the jurisdiction in which they are summoned to serve
• never have been convicted of a felony, unless their civil rights have been restored
• are not currently adjudicated mentally incompetent or insane.

How Are Potential Jurors Chosen in Arizona?

The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of potential jurors from the list of local citizens eligible to serve on a jury in Arizona, as described above.

Master list of jurors is made up of Department of Motor Vehicles of Arizona and voter registration records.

Prospective jurors drawn from list and mailed questionnaire or summons, and reviewed to establish juror eligibility pursuant to statute.

Receiving a Jury Duty Summons in Arizona

If your name is randomly selected for the jury pool through the process described above, you receive a jury summons in the mail instructing you to appear for jury selection on a pre-set day.

While there are a few excuses for getting out of jury selection in AZ, most people summoned will have to report to the courthouse for the next stage of the juror selection process, voir dire.

The Juror Selection Process, or "Voir Dire"

Just because you qualify to be a juror and are summoned for jury selection, doesn't mean that you will be selected to be a juror on a case. The process of "Voir Dire", the actual act of jury selection, is how judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors actually choose the individuals who will sit on the juries for upcoming criminal and civil cases.

During the voir dire process, each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors a series of questions about their background, beliefs, prejudices, or relationships with any party to the case. While the goal is to select an impartial jury to render a verdict, each attorney will also seek to exclude any jurors who seem to be more likely to vote against their client's interests. While jury candidates are instructed to be open and truthful when answering such questions, the juror selection process is also where most individuals who don't wish to serve on a trial find a way to be excused from further juror duties.

What Happens After Jury Selection Day

If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be provided with the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, you can go home, and your Arizona jury duty obligations are complete.

You will receive nominal Arizona jury duty pay for the jury selection day, as well as for any days served on a jury. Once your service is complete, you won't be summoned for jury duty again until Arizona re-adds you to the potential juror pool.

While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in Arizona, the state restricts how often you can be summoned for jury duty in order to ensure a fresh jury pool and prevent undue hardship by being summoned too frequently.

Arizona Jury Duty Summons Frequency:

A summoned and selected juror is not required to serve again as a juror in any court in the state of Arizona for two years following the last day of the juror's service.

While there are a number of ways to be legally excused from jury duty in Arizona, failing to appear when summoned for jury selection or jury duty without an excuse is illegal, and can result in legal repercussions.

An Order to Show Cause may be served on a juror who fails to report for summoned jury duty without adequate cause for their absence.

Penalties can range from a fine of $1,000, three days in jail, community service, or any combination above.

Employers in Arizona are also forbidden from penalizing employees who miss work for jury duty.