In response to demand for a more streamlined jury process, Gwinnett County Courts has launched a proactive text-based notification system to update jurors on their jury status.
With the new texting platform, jurors can receive automatic messages about their upcoming jury duty, as well as nightly updates throughout their service week notifying them whether or not to report for service.
"Jurors have been asking for an easier, more convenient way to get their juror status. With our new text messaging system, jurors receive proactive text messages without having to call or check the website – and they love it,” said Jury Manager for the Gwinnett County Courts, Abby Carter.
Carter added the court system recently concluded a six month trial period with TextGov’s Juror Notification System to determine if the text based notification system would be a good fit.
She said in addition to making the process more convenient for the juror during the trial, the text messaging system improved juror compliance rates. During the trial, among those jurors that opted in to receive text reminders, an average of 96% appeared in court on their appointed days.
"We've gotten a lot of comments with people saying things like 'the text is great, it helped me remember when my jury duty was.' Before we implemented the text system, we had jurors say 'I had no idea I was suppose to come in, nobody called and reminded me,' but we don't do that. You have to call in every night, so this new system helps our jurors out," Carter said.
Fulton County is the only other county in Georgia utilizing TextGov's Juror Notification System, but Carter said she would not be surprised if more counties begin utilizing the system or something similar.
