20 THE COURIER SUN • JANUARY 12, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com PERSON OF THE YEAR 2016 PERSON OF THE YEAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 so honored and proud to be elected by the community she served,” Pheffer Amato said. “As a mother, raising my two children in the same community I was, I understand the values my mother instilled in me as a young girl. Watching first-hand the importance of giving back and working for your community completely shaped me into the person I am today.” SEEKING FAIR JUSTICE FOR ALL Pheffer succeeded the late Gloria D’Amico in 2011 as Queens County Clerk, appointed by the Second Department Appellate Court. Although it would bring big changes, Pheffer was ready to tackle her new position with the same enthusiasm and vigor she gave to being a community activist and elected official. “The thing is, it’s completely different, so it really was a challenge, and it gave me a new lease on life,” Pheffer said of switching over to the Queens County Clerk position. Since being appointed as the Queens County Clerk almost six years ago, Pheffer now wants to bring Queens’ biggest claim to fame — its diversity — into one place that may need it the most: the juror pool. The U.S. Constitution states that every citizen is guaranteed the right to be judged by a jury of their peers. In the most diverse county in the entire United States, finding the most balanced and equitable jury can be a challenging task. Pheffer is looking to make that process a little less challenging by getting more people signed up to be a part of the jury pool. “Your peers means that those that are judging you, and in our case in a jury box, and when you look in that jury box, some of the people sitting in that jury box should be the same as you so you feel that you’re being tried by your peers,” Pheffer said. “We can’t provide everything, but certainly I feel there Then-Assemblywoman Pheffer is shown at her 1987 inauguration with daughter (and future Assemblywoman) Stacey Pheffer Amato and son Mitchell Pheffer. should be every ethnicity represented, and the only way that can be done is by working within the jury system.” The first step in working with the jury system is getting Queens residents to fill out the jury questionnaire. The questionnaire is sent out to everyone who is registered with either the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Board of Elections, the Tax Department, Social Service Department or the Unemployment Department. “So basically, if you’re alive, you’re on one of those lists,” Pheffer said. The questionnaire determines if a resident is qualified to serve jury duty. If a person is deemed qualified, their name is entered into a larger jury pool where potential jurors can be brought in for questioning. “The pool has got to be representative of the people in Queens,” she added. “It wasn’t, and it isn’t still, equally. But it’s much better.” Joann Shapiro, Fred kohlreiter, Audrey Pheffer, Jeremy S. Weinstein, Moses Weinstein and Walter Ward. In the end, Pheffer admits, the juror selection process is still random, but by bringing a more diverse group of people into the jury pool, there is a bigger chance for a diverse jury to sit on any given case. The problem, Pheffer said, is getting people to answer the questionnaire. In order to bring more people into the jury pool and have them return the questionnaire, Pheffer has been going to different groups and organizations across the city to try and get more people involved. Another way Pheffer is trying to get more people into the jury pool is by handing out harsher penalties — such as a $1,000 fine — for those who repeatedly do not respond to the questionnaire. Then there is the problem of people responding to the questionnaire, but they do not show up when they are selected. These people are given several chances to come down to the courthouse to be vetted for jury duty, and if they do not appear, fines and lien can be given to them. In the most extreme cases, people who never respond are forced to go in front of a judge and pick a date on which they can come to serve. “You don’t have to vote,” Pheffer said. “But the law demands that you serve jury duty.” Congratulations Ranking Member of the Veterans, Homeland Security, Please join me this Memorial Day in taking the time to remember and pray for all those our freedom and our country. Wishing everyone a happy and safe 4th of July as we proudly celebrate and cherish our independence. to my friend Audrey Pheffer for being honored as the Queens Courier’s Person of the Year 2017 Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. District 15 Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. New York State Senator District 15 DISTRICT OFFICES 159-53 102nd Street Howard Beach, NY 11414 TEL: (718) 738-1111 FAX: (718) 322-5760 66-85 73rd Place Middle Village, NY 11379 TEL: (718) 497-1630 FAX: (718) 497-1761 159-53 102nd Street Howard Beach, NY 11414 (718) 738-1111 (718) 322-5760 FAX 66-85 73rd Place Middle Village, NY 11379 (718) 497-1630 (718) 497-1761 FAX 66-85 73rd Place Middle Village, N.Y. 11379 (718) 497-1630 (718) 497-1761-FAX 159-53 102nd Street Howard Beach, N.Y. 11414 (718) 738-1111 (718) 322-5760 – FAX New York State Senator District 15 Member of the Senate Labor and Civil Service & Pension Committees
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