NCJ Number
66133
Date Published
1980
Length
51 pages
Annotation
THIS ANNUAL REPORT DOCUMENTS THE STATE OF DALLAS COUNTY'S JURY SYSTEM (TEXAS) DURING 1979, EMPHASIZING TRENDS IN JUROR USAGE AND COURT ACTIVITY, AND MONITORING MAJOR INDEXES OF JURY SYSTEM EFFICIENCY.
Abstract
TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE JUROR UTILIZATION, JUROR YIELD, JURY PANEL USAGE, AN ANALYSIS OF OPERATING COSTS OF THE JURY SYSTEM DURING THE PAST 2 YEARS, AND YEARLY STATISTICS. IN EXAMINING THE ACTUAL COMPOSITION OF PROSPECTIVE JURORS IN THE DAILY JURY POOL, THE REPORT ALSO DIVIDES SOME INSIGHTS INTO JURY MEMBERS' MOST PREVALENT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JURY DUTY (E.G., QUALITY OF INSTRUCTIONS, TREATMENT BY COURT PERSONNEL, TIME SCHEDULING). THESE PROFILES ARE BASED ON 1,561 RESPONSES TO A QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTED IN THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM DURING OCTOBER 1979. APPROXIMATELY 90 PERCENT RATED JURY DUTY FAVORABLY. THE HIGHEST RATING WAS GIVEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE CENTRAL JURY ROOM WHERE BASIC LEGAL TERMS AND JUROR DUTIES WERE EXPLAINED. A TOTAL OF 70,554 PROSPECTIVE JURORS WERE REQUIRED TO APPEAR IN COURT IN 1979; FULLY 90.3 PERCENT WERE NEEDED FOR JURY PANELS AS COMPARED TO 50-65 PERCENT PRIOR TO 1977. ALTHOUGH JUROR PAY WAS RAISED FROM $5 TO $6 PER DAY IN AUGUST 1979 AND JURY TRIAL ACTIVITY WAS UP 16.2 PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE TOTAL COST OF JUROR FEES TO THE COUNTY ROSE ONLY 12.7 PERCENT. OVERALL, CONTINUAL EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE UTILIZATION OF JURORS AND TO ENHANCE SYSTEM EFFICIENCY HAVE TRANSLATED INTO COST SAVINGS. THE JUROR EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE, GRAPHS, AND TABULAR AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED. (WJR)