The Ada County Jury Commissioner’s Office said it has received reports from area residents that they’re being threatened with an “arrest warrant” for failure to appear for jury duty.
According to Ada County spokesperson Kate McGwire, “The call comes from a person claiming to be an officer. This person tells the citizen there is a contempt of court warrant of $500 owed, plus a ‘failure to appear’ warrant of $500 for a total of $1,000 for failure to comply and appear for jury duty.”
One citizen reported he was instructed to go to the Albertsons store on Broadway Avenue in Boise, and purchase a gift card for $,1000 to satisfy the two warrants, McGwire said. He was further ordered to obtain the number of the mail receptacle, address an envelope with an address given by the “officer,” and then phone the “officer” when the transaction was mailed. “Unfortunately this citizen followed these instructions and lost $1,000,” McGwire stated.
Ada County will never call or e-mail a prospective juror and inform them a “warrant has been issued for their arrest” for failure to appear for jury service, officials said.
If an Ada County juror does fail to appear for jury duty, a letter is mailed and or e-mailed from the Ada County Jury Commissioner’s office requesting the juror to please make contact with the office so they can reschedule their jury service. Ada County contact information is listed on the letter and or email.
If you receive a phone call or an e-mail of this nature, officials recommend you hang up immediately, contact the Boise Police Department to file a report, and contact the Better Business Bureau.
If you have questions or concerns, you can call the Ada County Jury Commissioner’s Office at (208) 287-7570 or e-mail them at jury.commission@adaweb.net.
