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OPINION
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OPINION Opinion
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Jurors get first compensation hike since 1970
BY CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERT M. BRUTINEL
Arizona Supreme Court
The bipartisan budget that was passed during the 2022 Arizona legislative session included multiple spending priorities recommended and supported by the Arizona Judicial Council (AJC), the policy-making body that oversees the judicial system in our state.
Among them, the appropriation of 1.62M from the state’s General Fund to the Arizona Lengthy Trial and Digital Evidence Fund to pay jurors who are summonsed and selected to serve on a jury in the superior court—beginning on day one.
While it may not seem to have been the most crucial budget item to remain intact, citizens exercising their right to serve on a jury and Arizona’s judicial system won big.
Our courts understand how personal financial responsibilities impact an individual’s willingness to participate in jury service, which is why juror pay and other consequential recommendations were made by the Supreme Court’s Task Force on Jury Data Collection, Practices, and Procedures, and were included in the 2022 AJC legislative slate.
Individuals can breathe a little easier now that they will be eligible for reimbursement of lost wages for amounts between $40 and $300 per day—it took effect Sept. 24.
Previously, jurors were paid $12 per day unless the trial exceeded five days, activating additional pay from the Lengthy Trial Fund.
And whether employed or unemployed, self-employed, retired, or receiving income from another source like Social Security, jurors in Superior Court will be paid. The amount is dependent on their actual earnings. Aside from alleviating financial concerns for jurors, Arizona’s judicial system, litigants, and attorneys gain a more willing pool of potential jury participants to help ensure a fair and efficient process. That fundamental fairness includes placing decision-making in the hands of jurors who can truly be impartial and are representative of the communities in which they assemble.
Under leadership of the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Judicial Council, our court system is committed to the continued advancement of promoting the jury improvement reforms outlined in the report issued by Task Force on Jury Data Collection, Practices, and Procedures and approved by the AJC on Oct. 21, 2021.
The full report includes 24 recommendations for improving jury service, the jury summoning and selection process, and community outreach, education, and engagement.
The next time you participate in jury service we hope you walk away feeling accomplished because you exercised a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.
Remember, it was fair because you were there.
When parents should worry about social media
BY MARLEE SEYMOUR, MC, LPC
AFN Contributor
If your children are active on social media, keep an eye out for the adverse effects so you can detect a mental health problem and prevent harm before it’s too late.
Cyberbullying. While most social media platforms have established policies to prevent cyberbullying, it still happens, causing a toll on self-esteem and mental health.
Some common signs parents can watch for include withdrawal from family and friends, loss of interest in hobbies, nervousness about attending school, and frustration or anger after being online.
If you are a parent, be sure to monitor your child and note any differences in behavior. Encourage conversation and assure your children they are not alone and that you are there for them.
High screen times. High screen times have been linked to irregular sleep patterns, behavioral problems, and poor academic performance. While technology and social media remain a constant in our lives, there are easy ways to keep screen time under control and give your children a break from social media.
Consider making your dinner table a phone-free zone, setting daily limits on social media apps, and mandating that phones need to be kept outside of bedrooms to prevent late-night or early morning scrolling.
Poor self-esteem. People often share a perfect, inaccurate version of themselves. When scrolling endless posts of perfection, it’s easy for a child to compare themselves to others and create unrealistic expectations.
Still, when kids put themselves under a microscope and compete with unrealistic beauty standards thanks to filters, it can negatively impact their mental health. Ask your children about filters and the latest trends on social media. Have fun with it but also be sure to discuss reality versus fiction.
Signs of suicide. Monitor your child’s activity and look for posts that express loneliness, guilt, pain, or anger. It may be difficult to spot a concerning social media post, but noticing a small sign can save someone from distress or worse.
It can be tough to distinguish if a post or comment was made in jest but if you sense something is off or see something potentially alarming, say something. If you are worried about the well-being of an individual on social media, don’t hesitate to check in to ensure they are safe.
If you have cause for alarm after speaking with them, act. Many schools have behavioral health services available for students and families.
Despite the challenges, a healthy relationship with social media is possible – keep an eye out for the ones you love by being mindful of social media’s warning signs. If a post gives you pause, act.
Southwest Behavioral & Health Services partners with school districts to place behavioral health professionals and clinicians directly on school campuses, increasing access to care.
These professionals are trained in providing counseling services to children and helping parents understand the warning signs of problematic social media use and suicide. They are also trained in helping parents understand the strategies adults and children can use to help prevent suicide.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8 or text HELLO to 741741.
Marlee Seymour, MC, LPC, is with School & Community-based Counseling Services North for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. Information:
sbhservices.org.
ADOT driving test changes evoke fond memories
BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ
Tribune Columnist
The summer after I turned 17, my father took me to a middle school parking lot and attempted to teach me how to drive a car. This did not go well, mostly because we were operating at cross purposes.
I wanted to drive fast. My dad wanted me not to crash his beloved Toyota Tercel.
Voices were raised. Feelings were bruised. The car may have brushed a traffic barrier. Thus, my driving lessons quickly came to an end – until my mother took over.
Which was how I learned to drive on my mom’s ancient 1972 Ford Pinto with a 4-speed stick shift, a mushy clutch and 150,000 miles on it.
We practiced two nights a week, working up to the big encore: parallel parking, which my mother simulated for me with some five-gallon paint cans and a couple of stolen traffic pylons.
Chances are good the local school parking lot still has splashes of latex semi-gloss from my many suboptimal tries at parallel parking. There was a rhythm to it that eluded me, a sense of space and objects my eyes and hands couldn’t nail.
Especially with my mom screaming over the screech of grinding gears.
Still, when the big day came and I had the Motor Vehicles examiner in the car, I wedged that Pinto into a parking space well enough to earn my driver’s license.
This immediately surpassed winning the eighth grade spelling bee as my life’s biggest accomplishment to that point.
And it’s why I was a bit nostalgic this week when I saw that the Arizona Department of Transportation has changed the state’s road test so it no longer requires new drivers to parallel park as a condition of earning a license.
I get it: Parallel parking is one of those skills, like knowing how to drive a stick or how to start a fire, that has been lost to time and modern convenience.
ADOT did add a few wrinkles to the test that I appreciate, like requiring each would-be driver to locate the vehicle’s registration and insurance card among the old napkins in the glove compartment.
There’s also a brief vehicle inspection to make sure the turn signals work – though I’ve rarely seen an Arizona driver use that particular feature – and a safety test to prove the applicant can find the hazard lights and emergency brake – again, not Arizona specialties.
Only then will the road test begin. “This portion of the test will now take approximately 15-20 minutes to cover the five to eight miles that better reflects a typical commute,” ADOT’s press release explained.
Their prep materials indicate that screwing up following distance during the test is a 10-point violation, while hitting the curb gets you four points. Score 21 points or more and you fail.
The test apparently doesn’t include points for tweezing your eyebrows while driving, using an electric razor while on the freeway, or dislodging a 500-degree venti Starbucks from your lap because you stopped short to avoid running a red light – all things I’ve witnessed during my 27 years driving in Arizona. Okay, fine. It was my coffee. And yes, my thighs healed nicely after a month and three tubes of Neosporin. Thanks for asking.
My relationship with my parents healed eventually, too. Parallel parking and driving stick were teenage rites of passage we muddled through together, along with learning to tie a Windsor knot and how to balance a checkbook.
Now it’s 2022. I only wear ties to funerals and Quicken handles my checking account. But I did parallel park downtown last week without clipping a car or ending up four feet from the curb. My mom would have been proud – right after she stopped screaming.
