BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — There is a mystery in the Colorado mountains that has sheriff's deputies going door to door to find people.
People who failed to show up for jury duty.
Summit County Judge Karen Romeo said the percentage of people who respond to jury summons to her courtroom has decreased in recent years.
In a trial this past week, she expected 332 people to show up. Instead, 160 did.
"I thought, this is going to be tough to get a jury with these low numbers," Romeo said.
The trial before, she said only a third of people summoned came to court. So, she sent Summit County Sheriff's Office deputies to knock on doors. She said they rounded up six more citizens "and because of that we were able to pick a jury."
If poor turnout means they are unable to pick a jury, Romeo said she would have to postpone the trial in question. That causes administrative problems for court scheduling and delays justice for defendants and for victims.
After 15 years on the bench, she's heard all the excuses. Of course, some make more sense than others. She plans to listen to them all and has issued court summons to everyone who didn't show up last week.
"I typically give 8 hours of community service for every day that the jury served," Romeo said.
But she doesn't understand why people don't come to seize their civic duty... that's also a constitutional right.
"It was fought hard for in 1775, 1776. If you look back through history, they really debated the right to a jury trial," Romeo said.
From now on, she wants folks in Summit County to know that not showing up is not an option.
"If someone's at a dinner and they say, 'Oh you don't have to go to jury duty,' I hope someone says, 'Oh yes you do, otherwise you're going to go see Judge Romeo and explain why you didn't show up."
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