| ITEM #: 4. DATE: 05/06/2024 AI #:2006 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT (IGA) FOR JURY SERVICES WITH MARICOPA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Crystal Whelan, Court Administrator |
SUMMARY
Intergovernmental Agreement between the Goodyear Municipal court and the Maricopa County Superior Court for Jury Services.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County Superior Court for jury services, beginning July 1, 2024. (Crystal Whelan, Court Administrator)
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs associated with a jury trial fluctuate as they are dependent upon an unknown variable (whether or not jury trial-eligible cases will move to trial), however the Court does continuously monitor and evaluate all jury trial expenses, and budgets accordingly within the annual operating budget. There are no proposed rate changes for the costs associated with Jury services in the new IGA, and the Court anticipates no changes to the base budget allotted for jury services, because of this agreement.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
This agreement replaces the Intergovernmental Agreement entered into between the City of Goodyear and the Maricopa County Superior Court, which began 07/01/2018 and expires 06/30/2024.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The Superior Court of Maricopa County provides jury services to all County Courts and most Municipal Courts within Maricopa County. Benefits of this partnership are attributed to the centralized approach the Superior Court takes, which includes their ability to track summons history for individuals, meaning jurors are not being summoned too often, which could result in undue hardship on citizens. When a Court such as Goodyear sets a date for a jury trial, staff immediately notifies the Office of the Jury Commissioner in Superior Court, so that preparation of juror summons can begin. Immediately upon receiving the notification, the Superior Court will print and mail a summons to potential jurors on behalf of the Municipal Court. The potential jurors will be selected to receive a summons from a master jury list in accordance with state law, ARS § 21-301. In addition to printing and mailing the summonses, the Superior Court will field phone calls about postponements, excuses, and disqualifications. The Superior Court shall also process the payment of jury fees and mileage reimbursements. By allowing the Maricopa County Superior Court to manage the juror summoning and reimbursement process, the Goodyear Municipal Court is able to conduct jury trials without requiring the additional staffing resources to manage such a resource-intensive court process. This agreement further eliminates any additional burden that would impact the City of Goodyear finance department for issuing payments of individual juror fees.