Imperial County sends warning about jury summonses

A warning for anyone tempted to ignore a jury summons from Imperial County’s superior courts – failing to appear could earn you a hefty fine.

If you fail to respond to a jury summons, a judge could hold you in contempt of court. That charge carries a fine of up to $750.

Imperial County Superior Court is trying to improve its juror response by making the public aware of the penalties for failing to appear.

If you ignore an initial summons, the court will send you a second. Ignore the second summons, and you’ll get an order to appear. Fail to appear and you risk legal penalties including fines and even jail time.

The courts urge anyone who receives a jury summons to respond and avoid unnecessary trouble.

It reminds you, accommodations will be made for any juror with a valid reason for postponing their service, or a legal reason to be excused.