May is “Jury Summons Amnesty Month” in Fulton County

The Fulton County Superior Court has declared the month of May “Jury Summons Amnesty Month.” Residents who received a jury summons and didn’t show up will get a second chance. Sylvia Gains is the Fulton County Superior Court’s jury services manager. She says at the beginning of 2011, about 24% of jurors weren’t showing up, but by the end of the year, that percentage more than doubled.

“So, we thought we’d give a one-month amnesty period so that all jurors who’ve not previously responded to our efforts to have them contact our office, they could use that month to reschedule jury duty,” Gains says.

There will be no penalties for no-shows during the month of May. But starting June 1, Gains says, sheriff’s deputies will look for jurors who don’t appear. She says penalties could also be imposed, including fines up to $500 or jail sentences of up to 20 days.