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Chief Justice Gildea Proclaims Juror Appreciation Week May 2-6, Urges Awareness of Jury Duty Scams

Posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea has proclaimed May 2 to May 6 as Juror Appreciation Week. The Judicial Branch will use this occasion to express appreciation for those Minnesotans who have answered the call to jury service. A copy of the Chief Justice’s proclamation can be found here.
 
Chief Justice Gildea is also using Juror Appreciation Week to urge Minnesotans to protect themselves from jury duty scams. The Minnesota Judicial Branch has posted information about jury duty scams on its website at www.mncourts.gov/jury, and Judicial Branch staff will be distributing posters to local community centers and government buildings across the state warning people of the dangers of these scams. A copy of the poster can be found here.
 
“Jury service is a privilege and responsibility of citizenship, providing the opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to have direct contact with our democracy and to actively participate in the justice system,” said Chief Justice Gildea. “It is a sad reality that a growing number of people are being targeted by dishonest con artists who prey on people’s trust through deceitful jury duty scams. As we celebrate Juror Appreciation Week and recognize the dedication of citizens who report for jury service, we are also urging Minnesotans to learn about and protect themselves from the potentially devastating consequences of these scams.”
 
While jury duty scams take many forms, typically they occur through fraudulent phone calls and e-mails that threaten a citizen with fines, prosecution, or imprisonment for failing to comply with jury service in federal or state courts. The citizen is then asked to provide payment to the scammer, or to divulge private information that the scammer can use for identity theft purposes.
 
Last year, the National Center for State Courts reported that “jury service scams have become increasingly common and are an insidious threat to the integrity of state and federal courts.”
 
Chief Justice Gildea reminds all Minnesotans that if they are summoned for jury duty, initial contact will always be made by U.S. Mail in the form of a juror summons from a county district court. Minnesota courts will never contact a person by phone or e-mail and seek payment of fines, Social Security numbers, credit card information, or any other sensitive information in response to missed jury duty.
 
Any person receiving a suspicious call or e-mail seeking financial or private data related to missed jury duty is urged to contact their local county sheriff’s office. Any person with questions about their jury duty should contact their local district court. Contact information can be found at www.mncourts.gov/jury by clicking on the “County Jury Info” tab.