EVALUATING JURY SELECTION, UTILIZATION, AND MANAGEMENT

• NCJ Number: 64557
• Journal: State Court Journal Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER 1980) Pages: 9-14,4348
• Author(s): I KEILITZ; L R CAVINESS
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: National Ctr for State Courts
• Sale Source: National Ctr for State Courts
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES THE RESULTS OF THE JUROR UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM EVALUATION. DURING THE PROGRAM, 18 STATE COURTS RECEIVED LEAA GRANTS TO IMPROVE JURY OPERATIONS.

Abstract

THE PROGRAM SOUGHT TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MODERN JURY UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE 18 PARTICIPATING COURTS WAS TO DEVELOP A DEFENSIBLE, IMPROVED JURY SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIVE TO THE COURT AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM WITH MINIMUM COST TO THE COMMUNITY. THE COURTS ATTEMPTED TO DEMONSTRATE SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS IN JURY UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT IN SEVERAL CRITICAL AREAS, INCLUDING JUROR SELECTION AND SERVICE, JURY REPRESENTATIVENESS STATUTES, AND COURT RULES. REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS SUMMONED FOR JURY DUTY AND USING THOSE SUMMONED MOST EFFICIENTLY WERE KEY GOALS. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM SOUGHT TO ESTABLISH A 'COMMUNITY OF COURTS' IN WHICH IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS ARE EXCHANGED AMONG COURTS AND WHICH SERVES TO ENCOURAGE THE BEST POSSIBLE JURY SYSTEM IN EACH OF THE COURTS. THE EVALUATION DESIGN INCORPORATES BOTH SUMMATIVE (OUTCOME, IMPACT) AND FORMATIVE (PROCESS) EVALUATED COMPONENTS. MEASURES USED IN THE EVALUATION INCLUDE THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF ACTUAL CHANGES MADE BY THE PARTICIPATING COURTS, SOURCE LIST COVERAGE, SELECTION PROCESS YIELD, JUROR UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY, JUROR ATTITUDES, PERCEPTIONS OF COURT PERSONNEL, AND STATUTE UTILITY. TEN OF THE 18 DEMONSTRATION COURTS WERE SELECTED, AND THEIR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE IN 10 NONPARTICIPATING 'COMPARISON' COURTS. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ARE FOCUSED ON THE ACTUAL MODIFICATIONS OF JURY OPERATIONS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE DEMONSTRATION COURTS, THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE GOALS OF EQUITY IN THE JUROR SELECTION PROCESS, EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY, THE ATTITUDE OF THE CITIZENRY TOWARD JURY SERVICE, AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF COURT PERSONNEL. THE EVALUATION CONCLUDED THAT THE FEASIBILITY OF MODIFICATIONS IN ASPECTS OF JUROR SELECTION, SCREENING, UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF JURORS, AS WELL AS THE EXPERIENCE OF JURY SERVICE FOR THE JUROR, SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WELL DEMONSTRATED. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)