1.0 SYSTEM INTRODUCTION

An integral part of any court's operation is the selection and processing of grand and petit jurors. The purpose of Judicial Systems, Inc.'s Jury2008 Plus™ Juror Administration System is to provide a standardized, flexible, fully integrated, automated system that efficiently meets the needs of each court and can be easily customized for individual court requirements.

2.0 GENERAL SYSTEM FEATURES:

2.1 SECURITY

The Juror Administration System provides security controls to protect the security of the data as well as the integrity of the data. This control is accomplished through user passwords. All users of the system must have a unique profile containing the user's password and ID. The court administrator has full authority for delegation of user profiles and their restrictions within the system.

2.1.1 PASSWORD SECURITY

Access to the system is gained through the use of single-level sign-on which requires the user to specify a unique password. If a user forgets a password, the court administrator must assign a new one.

2.1.2 RESOURCE SECURITY

Access to each module on the system may be granted or revoked to each individual user.

2.1.3 DATA INTEGRITY PROCEDURES

Error checking routines are imbedded throughout the system to ensure the accuracy of data being entered or updated within the system.

2.2 CUSTOMIZATION AT DISTRICT AND DIVISION OR COUNTY AND PRECINCT LEVELS

The following are examples of areas which may be customized at each level:

Options available at district or county level:

• One or two-step summoning process
• Fully computerized random summoning technique
• District and county names and numbers
• Division or precinct names and numbers
• Disqualification codes
• On-line help text
• Census data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau
• Breakdown of voter registration and/or drivers license population by sex and race
• Breakdown of master wheel information obtained from voter registration and/or drivers license information by sex and race.

Options available at division or precinct level:

• Fully computerized random summoning technique
• Division or precinct names and numbers
• Juror summons reports upon selection of names to be sent summonses
• Number of potential jurors available for summoning
• Pre-defined rates of subsistence, mileage, parking and attendance fees within each court

2.3 TRAINING

System documentation and training are provided to assure the timely and efficient implementation and use of the system.

• Computer based training
• Training of jury staff
• Telephone support
• On-line documentation
• System user manuals
• On-line help prompts which list status codes, county numbers, precinct numbers, race codes, etc.

This Juror Administration System allows for streamlining of procedures to reduce processing time, clerical costs, supplies, and postage. Through the use of Optical Mark Reading and Bar-Code technology, information will be processed more efficiently resulting in improved management of jurors and expeditious preparation of statistical reports as maybe required by the courts.

3.1 MASTER WHEEL CONSTRUCTION

A master wheel is created to supply the court with names from which to select qualified jurors. This wheel is created from any format the data is provided in, such as magnetic tape/diskette, voter lists, driver license lists, and even handwritten lists. If multiple sources are used, all names are merged and duplicates are purged. Finally, each name is assigned a unique identifying number that remains with that name for the duration of the wheel.

3.1.1 JUROR DISTRICT/DIVISION OR COUNTY/PRECINCT ASSIGNMENT

Jurors are assigned district, division, county and precinct designations at the time of wheel creation.

3.1.2 VOTER REGISTRATION STATISTICS ESTABLISHED 

During creation of the master jury wheel, sex and race statistics from the source data are recorded for later comparisons with census and wheel data.

3.2 JUROR QUALIFICATION/SUMMONING

This system will support courts that qualify and summon jurors by the traditional two-step process or one-step process.

3.2.1 OPTICAL MARK SCANNING OF RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES

Judicial Systems, Inc. has developed a questionnaire form which takes full advantage of Optical Mark Recognition technology. Questionnaires can now be printed and mailed by the court. Upon receipt of the returned questionnaires, court personnel will open, scan and evaluate the responses of each questionnaire based on the criteria set by each individual court. The master wheel is then updated with the responses of each questionnaire scanned. Upon completion of the scanning process, a statistical breakdown of the scanning process is printed. This will save many clerical hours because jury personnel will only be required to process those questionnaires that are returned unscannable, incomplete, or with attachments which must be read.

3.2.2 TWO-STEP QUESTIONNAIRE/SUMMONS METHOD

In the two-step process, the questionnaires are mailed to a randomly selected portion of the master jury wheel, and the questionnaires are scanned to determine those people who are qualified to serve on jury duty. This process builds the qualified wheel, and the summonses are mailed to potential jurors randomly selected from this qualified wheel.

• QUESTIONNAIRE SELECTION

  Courts may select panels of prospective jurors to receive questionnaires based on random selection criteria prescribed by their master jury plan.

• SUMMONING FROM QUALIFIED JURY WHEEL

  Courts may select prospective juror panels to receive summonses from the qualified wheel based on random selection criteria prescribed by their master jury plan.

3.2.3 QUALIFICATION TRACKING

When questionnaires are printed for a group of prospective jurors, a unique panel number is assigned to this group of people. As the questionnaires are returned and evaluated, the system keeps track of the number of qualified, disqualified and the number of non-returns for a panel.

3.2.4 SENDING QUESTIONNAIRE/SUMMONS TO AN INDIVIDUAL JUROR

This system will allow for the printing of individual questionnaires/summonses by juror ID number. This is useful for re-mailings.

3.2.5 SECOND REQUEST QUESTIONNAIRES

Second request questionnaires are printed and mailed to the potential jurors who have not responded to the original questionnaire. Second request questionnaires may be sent to a group of prospective jurors by panel number or individual persons. An alphabetical list of people sent a second request is provided.

3.2.6 QUALIFICATION UPDATE

Juror information can easily be updated from the questionnaires returned by potential jurors through the use of Optical Mark Recognition. Information updates include qualification code, race, sex, and any changes in name, address, division, county or precinct. The system will keep track of the number of qualified, disqualified or non-responses for a group of questionnaires.

This system allows for the deferment of qualified jurors to a future date certain for circumstances such as students or teachers who would be more able to serve during summer months.

There are 99 qualification and disqualification codes for any court to choose from when qualifying or disqualifying jurors. The court administrator has the ability to add or change codes if needed.

3.3 BAR-CODED SUMMONS WITH JUROR BADGES

Judicial Systems, Inc. has developed a unique summons form. This new juror form has a customized map and instructions for each courthouse along with the juror I.D. number bar-coded on the form to be read at the time of juror check in. Jurors may be assigned a sub-panel number for the purpose of grouping jurors. Juror sub-panel numbers can easily be changed for moving jurors among groups. Attendance lists, labels, wheel cards and jury lists can easily be generated for a group of jurors by their sub-panel number.

3.4 JUROR INFORMATION LETTERS

Customized letters can be easily produced for a juror sub-panel or for an individual juror. To minimize time and risk of error, juror information such as name, address, status, date of excuse or qualification, etc., is merged from the Jury Wheel.

3.5 SELECTED JUROR INFORMATION

3.5.1 JUROR LABELS

Alphabetical or zip code sorted juror labels are available by juror numbers or can be printed for an entire sub-panel. Juror labels contain the juror number, name, address and panel assignment.

3.5.2 WHEEL CARDS

Alphabetical or sub-panel sorted juror wheel cards are available by panel number or can be printed for an entire sub-panel.

3.5.3 ALPHA JUROR ATTENDANCE RECORDS

Alphabetically sorted juror attendance records are available by panel or sub-panel number. The Juror Attendance Record allows for the recording of juror attendance dates, juror one-way mileage, government employee designation, parking, miscellaneous pay and per diem/subsistence.

3.6 ORDER LISTS PROVIDED

QUESTIONNAIRES SENT

Lists of people sent questionnaires in alphabetical and "as randomly selected" order. (Juror number, name, address, date of birth, order selected)

SUMMONS SENT

Lists of people sent summonses in alphabetical and "as randomly selected" order. (Juror number, name, address, date of birth, order selected)

PANEL STATUS

A breakdown by division, county or precinct of the sex and race codes of persons sent summonses. This report also shows the number selected for a certain panel, number selected to date and the number of available persons remaining to summon.

JURY PANEL LIST

Jury Panel List may be printed by panel or sub-panel number. Panel lists contain the following information: juror number, name, address and date of birth. The user has the ability to provide the appearance date, appearance time, mileage rate, judge's name and any miscellaneous comments necessary.

3.7 STATISTICAL REPORTS PROVIDED

ANALYSIS OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND/OR LICENSED DRIVERS SELECTED This report is run from the names selected from the voter registration drivers license records. It compares, by district/county, and division/precinct, the breakdown of records selected with the entire list. Courts may then determine that the Master Jury Wheel is representative of the population before the first questionnaire/summons is sent.

SEX/RACE ANALYSIS OF COMPLETED AND RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES BY DISTRICT/COUNTY Separate report for each district/county as well as division/precinct giving breakdown by race and sex.

ABSOLUTE DISPARITY OF COMPLETED AND RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES This report gives the disparities of sex and race ratios as well as the Hispanic culture group as compared to the census data. Each division/precinct is listed separately.

COMPARISON OF SEX RATIOS OF QUALIFIED JURORS This report lists by district/county the comparison of census data, registered voters, and the qualified wheels.

SEX/RACE ANALYSIS OF QUALIFIED JURY WHEEL BY DISTRICT/COUNTY Separate report for each district/county as well as division/precinct giving breakdown by race and sex.

ABSOLUTE DISPARITY OF QUALIFIED JURY WHEELS This report gives the disparities of sex and race ratios as well as the Hispanic culture group as compared to the census data for the district/county.

COMPARISON OF QUALIFIED JURY WHEEL AND POPULATION TOTALS FOR THE DISTRICT/COUNTY Separate report for each division/precinct giving the disparity of the ratios of the qualified wheels to census data to determine if each division/precinct is proportionately represented.

YIELD ANALYSIS Separate reports for the district/county and for each division/precinct giving the status code of each completed questionnaire. This report gives the percentages of various exemptions, disqualifications, and excuses granted during the qualifying process. It also indicates the percentages of questionnaires returned as undeliverable.

4.1 DETAILED SUBVOUCHER MAINTENANCE The following sub-voucher and related information is fed via the automated juror checkin module using a hand held barcode scanner. A complete history of each subvoucher and related data is kept on the system for the life of the Master Jury Wheel.

4.1.1 MILEAGE RATE

Payment of juror mileage is calculated based on the mileage rate and the number of one way miles from home to court. The mileage rate may be changed at any time.

4.1.2 ZIP CODE MILEAGE CALCULATION

The ability to calculate juror one-way mileage based on the residence address (geographically coded via the U.S. Post Office National Address Database) , thereby increasing efficiency and reducing the possibility of errors due to estimations by jurors.

4.1.3 ONE WAY MILES FROM HOME TO COURT

The number of miles between the juror's residence and the courthouse. This number is based on the U.S. Post Office Geographic coding of the residence address which is accurate to within 1/10th of a mile.

4.1.4 REGULAR ATTENDANCE RATE

The rate per day for attendance in court. This rate can be set for all panels or can be adjusted for each individual panel of jurors paid.

4.1.5 HIGHER ATTENDANCE RATE

The rate per day for special service such as a prolonged trial.

4.1.6 PARKING RATE

The rate per day for parking.

4.1.7 SUBSISTENCE RATE

The rate per day for staying overnight at the court designated location.

4.1.8 MISCELLANEOUS PAY

Moneys to reimburse jurors for such items as taxi, rental car, etc.

4.1.9 LAST PRECEDING DATE OF ATTENDANCE

Contains the last date of juror service.

4.1.10 DATES OF SERVICE

Each date of service is entered for each juror.

4.2 ABILITY TO PRODUCE SUBVOUCHERS

Subvouchers may be produced for a panel of jurors which gives a detailed breakdown of juror pay by date of service.

4.3 RESTRICT MILEAGE PAYMENT OF SEQUESTERED JURORS

Mileage pay is easily restricted for sequestered jurors on a day by day basis.

4.4 RESTRICT ATTENDANCE FEES TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

The system identifies federal government employees to restrict payment of attendance fees when required by statute.

4.5 ABILITY TO PRODUCE 1099's

1099's may be produced for any juror paid over $600 in juror attendance fees in any one calendar year.

4.6 ABILITY TO PRODUCE CHECKS

Juror checks can be printed by jury personnel or downloaded to disk and sent to the finance or treasury department for printing. A voucher number is assigned to each group of jurors paid at this time. A complete history is kept for the voucher for the life of the master jury wheel.

4.7 ABILITY TO PRODUCE CHECK REGISTERS

Check registers can be printed for each group of jurors by voucher number. Juror payment check registers can also be printed reflecting all jurors paid this payment run. Information detailed on each check register includes: Subvoucher number, juror number, juror name, check amount and check number.

5.1 EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY OF JUROR CHECK-IN

Using a hand held bar code scanner, jurors can be easily and quickly be checked in as they appear for jury service by scanning the bar-coded juror number on the juror summons badge.

5.2 CASE MANAGEMENT

Case information is easily established and maintained. Reporting jurors are randomly assigned to a case/courtroom and each juror's status (Checked-in, assigned to courtroom, released for the day, available for re-assignment, etc...) is logged within the system.

5.3 CHECK-IN LISTS

Check-in lists may be printed for all jurors reporting for jury service.

5.4 ATTENDANCE LISTS

Attendance lists may be printed for all jurors reporting for jury service. The attendance lists shows such information as one-way mileage from home to court,

5.5 STRIKE LISTS

Strike lists may be printed for all jurors assigned to a case/courtroom in three different formats, (1) with Juror ID Number and name; (2) with Juror ID Number, Name and City; and (3) with Juror ID Number, Name, Street Address Line and City.

5.6 REPORTING LETTERS/CERTIFICATES

Letters for each reporting juror may be printed. This letter may be used as verification to employers of a jurors dates of service and amounts paid for attendance.

5.7 NO-SHOW LISTS, LETTERS AND WARRANTS

Lists, letters and warrants may be issued to jurors not reporting for jury service.