JURORS ARRIVE TO AVOID BIG FINE; 16 OF 81 ANSWER CALL; REMAINDER MUST PAY.

Byline: Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writer

A few minutes after Albert Kyle dodged a $1,500 fine by agreeing to do his time as a juror, he offered a swift - if fatalistic - verdict on the Superior Court's new Sanction Summons program.

``I'm OK with it,'' Kyle said Tuesday morning, shrugging his shoulders as he left the downtown courthouse. ``They gotta do what they gotta do.''

Kyle was one of 81 Los Angeles County residents ordered to court Tuesday for the first wave of a program to sanction those who ignore a call to jury duty. Sixteen showed up, and all provided a good enough excuse to escape the fine.

For the 65 who didn't show up, Assistant Presiding Judge Victor Chavez imposed the full $1,500 fine. The fines were the first punishments against accused scofflaw jurors in Los Angeles County in more than two years.

``We're not here to try and make money and we're not here to frighten folks,'' Chavez said. ``We're here to let them know that we need them.''

Recent surveys have found jurors are an unhappy lot, in part because most of them end up spending 10 days in a courthouse, often without ever sitting in a trial.

In response, Jury Services plans to start a pilot ``one-day, one-trial'' system next year, which features more jurors serving less time in court.

But if that system ever has a chance of succeeding on a large scale, the Superior Court will need a bigger chunk of the public to respond to its jury summonses.

While the Sanction Summons program will add only a handful of residents to the jury pool, court officials said they hope people will hear about the fines and think twice before throwing away their jury questionnaires.

``I had to serve in the military during a time that it was required of my age group and that was very similar to this,'' Chavez said.

Of the 16 men and women who showed up Tuesday, all were sent their first jury notice in July. Jury Services manager Gloria Gomez said none are ``bad people.''

Kyle, a 30-year-old technician who lives near downtown Los Angeles, had moved to another address, and said he didn't get the summons until a few weeks ago.

``It just so happened that I went back to see some friends,'' Kyle said, recalling a visit to his old apartment. ``They told me, `You've got some mail.' ''

While Kyle said he expected a nightmare in court Tuesday, all he had to do was fill out a two-page form. He straightened the matter out and will return early next year to perform his civic duty.

Some people who showed up Tuesday were excused from jury service altogether, explaining in forms that they have medical problems, don't understand English or - in two cases - can't serve because they are convicted felons.

Tiffany Montgomery, a Fontana resident, attended the hearing while her mother and four children kept the motor running in a car outside.

``If I had someone to keep care of my kids, I wouldn't mind being a jury member,'' she said, after being excused from service. ``I don't know what I would have done if I had to pay that fine.''

Only one potential juror came in with a situation complex enough to require Chavez's attention - a pharmacist who was excused by the judge after explaining that no one else can run his business.

``Obviously he needs to be there,'' Chavez said. ``I'm not going to shut his business down.''

Chavez has a half-dozen more hearings scheduled this month, with more to follow next year.

The Sanction Summons program was last used in 1996, with positive results.

Chavez said the amount of jurors responding to their questionnaires two years ago was about 50 percent before the threat of fines, jumping to about 80 percent after the program was implemented.

Officials said fining jurors is rare in California, but Sonoma and San Bernardino counties have had similar programs.

Jury Services has a master file of 5.1 million Los Angeles County residents - compiled from Department of Motor Vehicle records. This year, about 3.2 million jurors were sent questionnaires.

Fines for those who didn't show up to the hearing will be collected just like any other civil judgment, Gomez said. If there is still no response, a collection agency will handle the matter.

Chavez said anyone who is fined and can't pay is still welcome to come to court and offer an explanation.

``We would certainly listen to them,'' he said. ``We're not here to be heavy-handed in any way.''