ATLANTA (AP/WAOK) - Court officials in Fulton County say an effort to cut the soaring rate of jury no-shows appears to have worked.

Fulton County Superior Court administrator Yolanda Lewis the rate of people failing to show up for jury duty was as high as 50 percent last year.

Judges announced that no-shows could face charges, and a series of mass court hearings were held in an effort to hold jurors accountable.

Lewis says the court’s rate of jurors failing to appear has dropped to 5.1. percent.