We are concerned about your safety!  Please view the following video from Arizona Supreme Court, Chief Justice Robert Brutinel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qM6UYS-F38

Please be advised the court is required to collect biographical information from prospective jurors.  Click here to read Administrative Order 2021-54 from the Arizona Supreme Court.

FAQs

• Is jury service mandatory?
• If I have moved out of the City of Sedona, do I still have to report for jury duty at Sedona Municipal Court?
• How often must I report for jury duty?
• How long will my jury duty last?
• How do I request to be excused from jury service?
• What if I am going to be out of town on the date that I am scheduled for jury duty? Can I postpone my jury service?
• What do I do if I missed my scheduled day for jury duty?
• What do I do if I forgot to send in my Juror Affidavit Questionnaire?
• How did you get my name for jury duty?
• Does my employer have to pay me while I serve on jury duty?
• Can my employer prevent me from reporting for jury duty? Can I be fired for reporting for jury service?
• Does the court provide childcare?
• Can I bring someone with me to keep me company during jury duty?
• What do I do if I need a special accommodation?
• For More Information...

Is jury service mandatory?

All City of Sedona residents are obligated by state law to serve as a juror unless they:

• Are not a United States citizen.
• Are under 18 years of age. There is no upper age limit, but you must be physically and mentally able to serve.
• Do not have sufficient knowledge of the English language.
• Have been convicted of a felony and their civil rights have not been restored.
• Have served on jury duty within the last two years.

If I have moved out of the City of Sedona, do I still have to report for jury duty at Sedona Municipal Court?

No, you are not eligible to serve in this court if you live outside Sedona city limits, and you are not required to appear. Please call the Court and provide your current residence address as soon as possible after you receive your summons.

How often must I report for jury duty?

If you appear for jury service and are not selected to serve on a jury trial, you may be summoned again. If you are selected to serve on a jury trial, you do not have to serve again for at least two years. If you should receive a summons within that time, just request to be excused and list the date(s) of jury service.

How long will my jury duty last?

If you appear for jury service and are not selected to serve on a jury trial, your jury duty obligation is fulfilled at the end of one day. If you are assigned to a courtroom for jury selection that is not completed by the end of the day, you will be required to return to finish the selection process. If you are selected to serve on a jury trial, your jury duty obligation is fulfilled at the end of the trial. Trials in this court generally last from 1-3 days.

How do I request to be excused from jury service?

All requests to be excused must be submitted to the Court in writing prior to your service date as explained on the juror questionnaire. Contact the Court by fax or mail (see "Magistrate Court" for phone numbers and addresses).

Effective January 1, 2004, new legislation was enacted by the Arizona State Supreme Court that gives more specific requirements for granting excuses and postponements to jurors summoned for jury service in the state of Arizona. Due to this new legislation, fewer requests to be excused will be granted than in the past, and jurors will be required to provide more documentation to support a request to be excused than may have been required in the past. A temporary excuse from jury service may be granted ONLY pursuant to law.  Click here for a link to A.R.S. Title 21-Juries.  No other reasons qualify for an excuse under applicable law.

• Medical: The juror is incapable of performing jury service due to a mental and/or physical condition. Documentation is required from the juror's physician stating that the juror is unfit for jury service due to the mental and/or physical condition listed.
• Public Interest/Welfare: Jury service by the juror would substantially and materially affect the public interest or welfare in an adverse manner. Documentation is required from the juror's employer, or the juror if self-employed, explaining how public interest or welfare is adversely affected.
• Physical Hardship:

• It is impossible for the juror to get appropriate substitute care for someone under the juror's care or supervision. Documentation is required from the juror stating why care cannot be found. Proof of dependency, guardianship, or similar documents may also be necessary when applicable.
• The juror would suffer physical hardship that would cause an illness or disease if the juror had to serve. Documentation is required from the juror's physician stating that the juror would suffer physical hardship that would cause an illness or disease if the juror had to serve.
• The juror is not currently capable of understanding English. The Court staff will attempt to make telephone contact with the juror to verify this information. If the Court staff is unable to contact the juror, the request to be excused shall be denied.

• Financial Hardship:

• The juror cannot pay necessary daily living expenses if required to serve. Documentation is required from the juror showing why daily living expenses cannot be paid if required to serve. This may include a statement from the juror's employer explaining that the juror will not be paid regular wages if forced to serve. The Court may require the juror to submit federal and state tax returns, payroll records, or other documentation to support the request.
• Employees of juror cannot pay their necessary daily living expenses if the employer/juror is required to serve. Documentation is required from the juror stating the specific financial circumstances that cause the juror to make this request.

• Peace Officer: A juror shall be excused under this section if ALL the following apply: The juror is (a) Certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AzPOST), and (b) Employed as a peace officer by Arizona or a political subdivision. The juror must submit to the Court written documentation on the letterhead of the juror's employer, signed by one of the juror's superiors, stating that the law enforcement agency for which the juror is employed verifies that the juror qualifies to be excused based on A.R.S. 21-202(B)(4).
• Military Personnel: If a member of the military is summoned for jury service, is an Arizona resident, and requests to be excused, the Court shall grant excuse under this section only when the juror is one of the following: (1) A member of the National Guard and on active duty, or (2) A member of the US Armed Forces on active duty and deployed out of state. (Sailors and Soldiers Civil Relief Act of 1940, 51 U.S.C. 501) Note: If the juror is not a resident of Arizona, he/she shall be disqualified under A.R.S. 21-201(2).

What if I am going to be out of town on the date that I am scheduled for jury duty? Can I postpone my jury service?

The Court realizes that prospective jurors may have been summoned at an inconvenient time and will consider granting one request for postponement of jury service to a more convenient time. Call the Court at (928) 282-1189 to request a new date of service. On request, postponement may be granted if all of the following apply: (1) The prospective juror has not previously been granted a postponement. (2) The prospective juror appears in person or contacts the Court by telephone, electronic mail or in writing to request a postponement. (3) A postponement shall not be for more than three months after the date on which the prospective juror originally was called to serve. State law requires that a second postponement can only be granted in the event of an extreme emergency that could not have been anticipated at the time the initial postponement was granted. The prospective juror is subject to being resummoned at the discretion of the Court.

What do I do if I missed my scheduled day for jury duty?

Please call the Sedona Municipal Court at (928) 282-1189 immediately.

What do I do if I forgot to send in my Juror Affidavit Questionnaire?

Just bring the questionnaire with you when you report for jury service. Court staff cannot excuse jurors who did not send in the questionnaire.

How did you get my name for jury duty?

Lists of potential jurors are drawn from the voter registration records and the driver's license/state ID records. Names are randomly selected from the citywide population by a computer.

Does my employer have to pay me while I serve on jury duty?

No, there is no legal requirement that employers must pay you while you are on jury duty. Please ask your employer about their company policy. Some employers ask you to supply proof that you were at Court on jury service. The original copy of your 'Biographical Information' form, when signed by the Court, will be your verification.

Can my employer prevent me from reporting for jury duty? Can I be fired for reporting for jury service?

State law prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for taking time off to serve as a juror if the employee, prior to taking time off, gives the employer reasonable notice of the requirement to serve as a juror.

Does the court provide childcare?

No. It is your responsibility to provide for child care before you report for jury duty.

Can I bring someone with me to keep me company during jury duty?

No, it is best to leave friends and family behind when reporting for jury duty. We have a limited amount of seating and no one but jurors will be allowed in the courtroom for jury selection.

What do I do if I need a special accommodation?

Requests for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities must be made to the Court at least three (3) days in advance of a scheduled court proceeding. We will make every attempt to accommodate your needs.

For More Information...

If you have any questions that have not been covered here, call the Sedona Municipal Court at (928) 282-1189.  Or, you can click here for a link to A.R.S. Title 21