Some people who did not show up for jury duty at Maricopa County Superior Court have been ordered to explain why on Friday morning.
A judge who will hear their reasons says juries make the U.S. legal system fair.
The alleged jury-duty scofflaws either no-showed after rescheduling or just ignored their court summons.
Judge Joseph Kreamer does not want to punish people with $500 fines. But he does want an honest explanation.
“I don't want to hear you telling me that you don’t believe that you need to appear for jury service or that it's not important enough for you to make it a priority. We understand that jury service is an inconvenience for just about everybody," Kreamer said.
Last year, Arizona increased the amount of money people can be reimbursed for missing work to serve on a jury to a maximum of $300 per day.
Officials say Maricopa County Superior Court has paid out more than $100,000 a month since.
Roughly 1 of 5 people summoned for jury duty there don’t show up.
“This is not about punishing people. This is about telling people how great jury service is. Encouraging them to serve. And hopefully rescheduling some folks for jury service in the future,” Kreamer said.
