When do I report for jury duty? NJ offers text alerts for prospective jurors

ABA Journal | Aug 23, 2013

To make it easier to communicate with prospective jurors called for duty, New Jersey courts are now offering alerts via text and email.  In the past, jurors were required to call in to a phone number or visit njcourts.com to find out the status of their jury duty, according to a news release and a story in the New Jersey Herald.

Some 30,000 jurors have opted in for the new service since it became available on June 24. “We recognize that jurors make sacrifices to perform a vital public service,” Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said in the release. “Because so many jurors today rely on electronic communication, we want to meet their expectations and update them about jury service in the most convenient way possible.”

Prospective jurors can opt out of alerts at any time and won’t receive messages after their jury service concludes.  Other recent accommodations for the 200,000 jurors called into duty each year include wi-fi at every courthouse and use of desktop computers at some court locations.