Revamping the Jury System

[redduck]

Let people "serve from home" electronically.

Haha, right. Most of those people will be multi-tasking - watching TV, napping, playing video games. Anything but minding the trial.

Not if they follow the same process my recently-completed online driver's safety course followed. Intersperse in the proceedings a question related to recent testimony and allow only 30 seconds to respond. Failure to correctly answer the question the first time would require the juror to view a video the testimony related to the question again. ..

I'm hearing many different ideas to re-vamp the jury system: Pay jurors more money; pay for their parking and lunches; don't have so many potential jurors show up at the same time; assign the juror to the closest court house; etc.

My idea to re-vamp the jury system is to offshore the jury work to India. I imagine some laws might need to be changed to do this, but it solves all/most of the problems mentioned in this thread. There are plenty of people in India that already are working in call centers--they know how to sit in front of a computer screen. They understand English, they have supervisors, they have awful jobs dealing with frustrated customers and it can't be too much fun for them to try to diagnose somebody's Dell.

 

[gerntz]

Hold the trials 5-11pm so people can still work.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Let the defense and prosecution post their cases on FB. Then have a timed poll where anyone can vote guilty or not guilty. Easy peasy.

Can’t think of a more balanced and reasonable way to do it than leave it to social media drive byes to decide justice.

 

[Texas Proud]

I've been on several juries. The most common complaint I hear from prospective jurors is that "they have to be at work" - so we should compensate jurors accordingly

I do not think compensation is an issue... most companies pay their people when they are on jury duty so they are not out any money... at least the working ones are not...

 

[mrWinter]

One person mentioned having employers pay employees for jury time served. Rather than penalize employers for the court's inability to populate juries, why not have the serving jurors paid through a Juror Fund Pool that consists of court fines collected through the court system? (I mean, where does all that collected fine money go anyway?)

I would not want to create a system that was funded entirely or really in any part by fines. If so you can forget about fines being fair and punitive, there would be a minimum number of fines needed to be given each month regardless of how many people do anything to really earn a fine, court fine quotas.

I do not think compensation is an issue... most companies pay their people when they are on jury duty so they are not out any money... at least the working ones are not...

Maybe most companies do, but that doesn't mean almost all people work for those companies. Your hair dresser, waitress, bar tender, dog walker, and uber driver don't, nor do any independent contractors, or small business owners. There's a large swath of the population that falls into that category. I asked google, and if having medical coverage is a good proxy, then ~30% of the population falls into the category of not having jury duty coverage.

 

[athena53]

The only part I really object to is the hours and hours just sitting around in the jury pool room waiting to see if you might be called into an actual courtroom. But even that has an explanation. As I've heard it, many cases go right up the the moment of a scheduled trial and then get settled. The big group of jurors is just sitting there waiting on the off chance that there might not be a settlement.

In one county where I lived, there was a legendary, well-loved guy whose job it was to herd the jurors around and keep them informed. When one case settled just before empanelment the guy said that our presence was probably a factor in leading the parties to settle.

I've never gotten on a jury and have been called only twice. Both were one day/one trial systems, which made me more willing to show up. I worked for a property-casualty insurance company and that was always the kiss of death for civil trials. I was thrown out on a peremptory challenge the first time, never made it to voir dire the second. They chose a jury before they could talk to me.

I like the idea of professional jurors and would gladly sign up for that.

 

[scrabbler1]

I've served twice. No big inconvenience as megacorp made up the earnings difference once and I was retired the second time.
As for the suggestions, in NY we don't get recalled for years after serving (5 or 7), and we can volunteer for duty, so kind of a semipro juror pool can exist.
Last time I had a trip planned and they let me slide till the next month. Then I was illl and they let me slide another. The commisioner was pretty accommodating.

Fellow New Yorker here.

I have been called 3 times, in 1987, 1996, and 2007 (so maybe I am due?), all to the same county courts but not always the same courthouse.

I have seen improvements to the process each time. In 1987, when I was 24, the Central Jury room was a large auditorium of uncomfortable, fold-down chairs with no real options to move around. Very boring. There was no phone system to call into beforehand, so you had to just show up and sit around and wait. They did call my name late in the first day and I got onto a criminal case as the last non-alternate juror. There was a court holiday midweek and the case was adjourned upon arrival another day with another one-day postponement, so my coworkers were constantly surprised at my showing up at work even though my jury service was not over. The case went to verdict.

I got paid for a full day of work after turning over the check to them. I did get travel expenses reimbursed, though. It was a lot better driving 15 minutes to the courthouse than an hour+ride on the trains to work. And because the case itself didn’t start until 10:30 AM, I could sleep in. When I found a good place to eat lunch across the street from the courthouse, I was also pleased. It was almost like a paid vacation for me. The judge ordered our lunch paid for by the county on the final day even though the case had not yet been turned over to us because of the way we had been jerked around some.

In 1996, I got called again, to a different courthouse. Parking was tight but they had some reserved parking for jurors. The Central Jury area was much better, with comfortable tables and chairs including a lounge and a TV and board games available to use. Some of us were playing Monopoly and I filled in for someone who had to use the rest room. As a joke, we hid her money and flipped over the deed cards (to mortgage them) so she would think I bankrupted her in 5 minutes. We got her gooooood LOL!

I got called to a criminal case late in the day and during juror selection the case was settled via plea bargain the next morning, so we got bounced back to Central Jury. In a Let’s Make a Deal moment, the Juror Coordinator gave us second-day jurors a choice – we could leave early and return the next day or stay later and be done. I had some stuff to do in the late afternoon and evening, so opted for the former, knowing I would get paid full salary for another day. I wasn’t called for another case the next day and was dismissed.

In 2007, they had a phone system set up and I had to report the second day (Tuesday). I was working part-time, so because Tuesday was one of my go-to-Jersey days, I was spared the trip. My name was quickly called for a civil case and 30 of use were herded into a mall room where the two yakkety lawyers grilled most of us all day long, a few at a time. They went through about 27 people to select 6 jurors plus an alternate. I was among the 3 never questioned. We were dismissed at the end of the day, yay, mainly because in the mid-1990s they removed many of the automatic exemptions from jury service, increasing the size of the jury pool. Probably explains why I haven’t been called again since, not that I would mind if they called me again. I got paid full pay and got my travel expenses back.

Not sure how I would improve the system other than paying us more, so those of us who wouldn’t get their work pay like I did wouldn’t be shortchanged.

 

[Silver]

Timely thread....I have to report this Monday for my first jury duty ever. I have no problem being called to serve except that the only court house in my county is a 1.5 hour drive away. To allow time to park I need to leave an hour and 45 mins (6:15am) before the time I need report. That is annoying!


If it wasn't for the drive I would be happy to serve on a jury. But I hope to not be selected. Needing to travel that early in the day reminds me of working, and no one wants that.

 

[zinger1457]

Lived in California (LA County) for 12 years and was called up every year, sometimes more than once. Still got salary from company so pay not an issue. Have lived in Arizona for the past 20 years and not called up once. My experience with juries overall was not good, some of the reasons jurors would give for convicting or not convicting someone often had nothing to do with the evidence but more with the way a particular witness looked, dressed, etc.

 

[pacergal]

I've been called three times, city and county courts. Served only once. Where I currently live, you get a juror number, you call after 5pm the night before, and if your number is not called, you are done.
I did not mind getting called, as my employer paid regular salary for jury days and I had to send the "juror pay" to accounting. Why they wouldn't let me keep the $10 for parking, I'll never know, but glad I was not out my salary.
I do believe it is an important duty as a citizen, yet understand the difficulty for those who lose their income.

 

[GravitySucks]

Let the defense and prosecution post their cases on FB. Then have a timed poll where anyone can vote guilty or not guilty. Easy peasy.

Can’t think of a more balanced and reasonable way to do it than leave it to social media drive byes to decide justice.

I'll be off to live in the woods avoiding all human contact if this happens.
Rather be eaten by bears than have FB people decide my fate.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I do not think compensation is an issue... most companies pay their people when they are on jury duty so they are not out any money... at least the working ones are not...

not guys that are roofing houses in houston texas

 

[marko]

Just what you'd want: being judged by a bunch of people who are already ticked off, feeling put-upon, missing pay and just wanting to get it over with

 

[Texas Proud]

not guys that are roofing houses in houston texas

I said most companies, not all....



And remember that at least 40% in Houston do not show up anyhow... probably those roofers...

 

[Fedup]

Lived in California (LA County) for 12 years and was called up every year, sometimes more than once. Still got salary from company so pay not an issue. Have lived in Arizona for the past 20 years and not called up once. My experience with juries overall was not good, some of the reasons jurors would give for convicting or not convicting someone often had nothing to do with the evidence but more with the way a particular witness looked, dressed, etc.

Exactly, you said it better than I did, I do feel sorry for the people on trial for that reason.

 

[ncbill]

I was excited to be picked (first seated) last time I went - before I was always just stuck in the jury pool (a room with 50 other people for 8 hours)

I was also the first to be dismissed by the defense, as the alleged crime took place right outside the entrance to my neighborhood.

 

[joeea]

My idea to re-vamp the jury system is to offshore the jury work to India.

Kinda violates the "jury of your peers" thing, no?

 

[Fedup]

Relax, he is kidding. At least he didn’t suggest to outsource to Saudi Arabia.

 

[Spock]

Had a juror attempt to drag out the proceedings another day just so he could collect another $7.... so just imagine the length of deliberations if jurors were paid $500/$200 per day.


My rules:
1. RESERVED parking. None of this "go find a spot somewhere down town and we'll validate your parking if you chose a city garage".
2. Treat jurors with respect, not just what is convenient for the bureaucracy. I understand you get no shows, disqualified jurors, etc. But you don't make 300 people show up 3 hours before show time, cram them check-to-jowel in a waiting area worse than airport boarding gates and then only call 50 people to actually see the inside of a court room. Run it leaner and then actively prosecute the no-shows.
3. Provide a cheap box lunch. No more "well we want to drive business to local restaurants so go walk an unfamiliar downtown in 105F heat to stand in line at a restaurant run by unwashed hippies selling all vegan Ethiopian cuisine... oh yeah... be back in 20 minutes".

4. ( I was going to rant about Some how there has got to be some sort of IQ test for being on a jury... but that is a condemnation of the general public and goes a lot farther than just jury duty).

 

[Mdlerth]

If they have shifty eyes, I say hang 'em!

I do feel sorry for the people on trial for that reason.

No need to feel sorry. I can tell whether a person is innocent or guilty just by looking at them. Body language always tells.


Ha ha! Just kidding, although I knew a guy who made the above statement during the weed-out round so he'd be dismissed and could go home. It worked.

 

[Fedup]

No need to feel sorry. I can tell whether a person is innocent or guilty just by looking at them. Body language always tells.


Ha ha! Just kidding, although I knew a guy who made the above statement during the weed-out round so he'd be dismissed and could go home. It worked.

I might borrow that. Hope it works for me too.

 

[dtbach]

How come I got called up at least 4 times when working, and now that I'd find it interesting to be on a juicy trial, I haven't been called up in 9 years??

 

[aja8888]

No need to feel sorry. I can tell whether a person is innocent or guilty just by looking at them. Body language always tells.


Ha ha! Just kidding, although I knew a guy who made the above statement during the weed-out round so he'd be dismissed and could go home. It worked.

Down here in Texas, I just tell them that I served on a Jury in Los Angeles (I actually did) and that gets me an automatic PASS!

 

[redduck]

Relax, he is kidding. At least he didn’t suggest to outsource to Saudi Arabia.

Well, I was only sort of kidding.

Let a megacorp that specializes in off-shoring run the show. See how it works (or doesn't). It would be a chance to have motivated and educated people make up a jury. In truth, I haven't worked out [-]all the details [/-]any of the details, but I like the idea.