Jurors Waiting to be Called for Trial are Given Pagers; Boosting the Local Economy

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Previous to the implementation of this program, jurors for the Macomb County Courts needed to wait in the jury room as they waited to be called to trial. This not only was a loss of their valuable time, but also a lost business opportunity for local business owners of the area. Now, upon arriving to Court, potential jurors are issued pagers. With these pagers they can wander up to ¼ of a mile away while waiting to be called. When they are needed back at the jury room, the potential jurors are paged and must return within ten minutes. This not only eases the burden of jury duty for the jurors but also boosts sales for business owners who are struggling during these tough economic times. The program also brings the shops and restaurants business during the day in addition to exposing the jurors to everything the town has to offer. Realizing the benefits this paging system would have, the local business community contributed over half the cost of the paging system. Overall, the results from the implementation of juror pagers are that the jurors themselves are less likely to complain of being stuck in the jury room. Weekly, the business owners are seeing hundreds of additional people through the downtown area and their businesses as a result.