Jury duty comes by mail, not the telephone

Announcement of a new system for summoning jurors in Douglas County came with a warning that the courts won’t telephone if you miss jury duty.

“It’s important to be aware of potential scams related to jury duty,” according to county officials. “If you receive a phone call claiming you’ve been selected for jury service, this is not a legitimate communication from the court and should be treated as fraudulent.”

The court won’t ever call a juror or request any kind of payment over the phone.

“If you receive such a call, hang up immediately,” officials said. “Should you have any doubts about whether you've been summoned, you can verify your status by calling our jury line at 775-783-6063 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.”

Douglas courts introduced a new jury case management system in July as part of an ongoing effort to modernize court.

Jurors are selected at random from a comprehensive pool that includes voter registration records; DMV driver’s licenses or IDs; utility records; and lists from the Department of Employment, Rehabilitation, and Training. If you are chosen to serve on a jury, you will receive a summons by mail.

“With our new system, you can now conveniently complete your jury questionnaire online,” officials said. “Additionally, two weeks before your scheduled trial date, a reminder letter will be sent, including a QR code for easy access to your information. Please note, we will never request credit card information. If online access isn’t available to you, our staff is ready to assist.”

The new system also allows the county to communicate important updates via email and text messages, including reminders about your appearance date or notifications in the event that a trial is canceled, and your attendance is no longer required.