After failing to appear for several jury panels, three Butler County residents are now wanted on bench warrants that were issued Wednesday.

Judge Marilyn Horan issued the bench warrants for Herold W. Clark, Sean P. Dolan and Erika A. Marsico after their failure to appear at a jury enforcement hearing.

Horan said the three individuals will now be sought by the Butler County Sheriff's Department, arrested and arraigned on a contempt of court charge. That charge could potentially hold jail time or a $500 fine.

“A prospective juror who has been summoned to serve as a juror and who fails to appear as summoned shall, unless exempt or excused pursuant to section 4503 (relating to exemptions from jury duty), be punishable for contempt of court and may be fined in an amount not exceeding $500 or imprisoned for a term no more than 10 days or both,” according to Pennsylvania legislation regarding jury panels.

Horan said Wednesday that Marsico of Butler initially called in ill for her first appearance, and was subsequently rescheduled four times, all to which she failed to appear. Clark of West Sunbury also failed to appear for four juror panels. Dolan of Butler failed to appear for three juror panels.

Bench warrants were issued against all three after they failed to appear for the jury enforcement hearing Wednesday.

A fourth individual, Michael P. Omstead, was also on the list of those who failed to appear multiple times for jury selection, but previously contacted the court to inform them that he is no longer a Pennsylvania resident, and further court action was discontinued.

Potential jurors in the county are selected using a computer system and pulled from databases of registered voters and PennDOT licensed residents, according to Deputy Court Administrator Tom Holman.

Once a year, those databases are updated and put through a screening process that removes duplicates, and a questionnaire is sent out to prospective jurors, and a list of 400 to 600 prequalified potential jurors is created, Holman said.

The computer system then randomly selects between 125 and 150 of those potential names as needed for jury selection.