Logan County soon to begin electronic jury management system

Prospective jurors in Logan County will soon be able to notify the Court Clerk’s Office via an automated telephone response system or to log-in to a website when it comes to jury duty. The new system will speed up the process, become more convenient and save money.

According to a release, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma continues the successful installation of its new statewide electronic jury management system.

The new process will begin June 1 for Logan County.

In May of last year, Cleveland County became the first district court to use the new jury management system. The system allows summonses to be mailed from a central automated mailing service, thereby saving costs on postage and staff time previously needed to print and mail summonses from individual counties.

After prospective jurors receive the summons, the system allows the jurors to use an automated telephone response system or to log-in to a website to: request to be excused or disqualified; request a deferment of their service to a later date; or confirm they will be reporting on that date. The district court can confirm or deny these requests either by placing an automated telephone call back to the prospective juror or by sending an e-mail response to requests made through the website. Mrs. Hall said, “We can quickly send an individual or mass e-mail message or telephone message to prospective jurors informing them when situations change in the courtroom or reminding them when they need to report.”

In addition to a centralized automated mailing service and an automated telephone system enabled by sip trunking technology, the system provides district courts the capability to select jurors randomly, check-in jurors, assign and manage jury panels, and calculate claims to pay jurors. Cleveland County used these system functions during its jury check-in held on June 9, 2014. Mrs. Hall said, “This system has many time saving features that have helped during jury check-in. It now takes us less time to check-in jurors and collect oaths on the first day of the jury term.”

The jury management software is provided by Courthouse Technologies. The MIS Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts has configured the local county systems and provided customized training and on-site support to district courts during their initial jury check-in process.

“I am extremely pleased with the progress of the electronic jury management system. This technology has already saved time and reduced costs in several counties, as well as provided a more seamless and efficient process for citizens that are asked to serve as jurors,” Justice Tom Colbert (Chief Justice at the time the Jury Management project began) said in the release.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma expects to complete the installation of its electronic Jury Management System in 2016. This system will replace multiple jury management systems currently being used throughout the District Courts of Oklahoma.