NCJ Number
64184
Date Published
1979
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT PRESENTS A COMPILATION OF GRAND AND PETIT JUROR STATISTICS DERIVED FROM MONTHLY REPORTS SUBMITTED BY EACH OF THE U.S. DISTRICT COURTS DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1979.
Abstract
GRAND JURY ACTIVITY INCREASED MARKEDLY IN THE 12-MONTH PERIOD. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GRAND JURY SESSIONS CONVENED INCREASED 9.7 PERCENT FROM 1978 TO 1979; THE NUMBER OF JURRORS NATIONWIDE CLIMBED 10 PERCENT TO 194,168 IN 1979. FURTHERMORE, 15 MORE GRAND JURIES WERE ADDED TO THE 659 REPORTED IN 1978. THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL GRAND JURIES WERE ADDED TO THE 659 REPORTED IN 1978. THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL GRAND JURIES INCREASED 13.5 PERCENT. THE UTILIZATION OF PETIT JURORS IN THE SAME 12-MONTH PERIOD IMPROVED IN MANY DISTRICT COURTS; HOWEVER, THE NATIONAL JUROR USAGE INDEX (JUI) INCREASED ONLY SLIGHTLY TO 19.6. (THE JUI IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF JURORS ON HAND FOR EACH JURY TRIAL DAY; IT IS CALCULATED BY DIVIDING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AVAILABLE JURORS BY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF JURY TRIAL DAYS.) A TOTAL OF 59.2 PERCENT OF AVAILABLE JURORS ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN 1979 WERE SELECTED OR SERVING, WHILE 16.2 PERCENT WERE CHALLENGED AND 24.6 PERCENT WERE NOT SELECTED, SERVING, OR CHALLENGED. JUROR EXPENDITURES INCREASED IN 1979 AS A RESULT OF THE NEW JURY FEE REGULATIONS WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 1979. PAYMENTS TO PETIT AND GRAND JURORS DURING THE YEAR TOTALED $25,594,000, A JUMP OF 31 PERCENT. MOST OF THIS, 73.7 PERCENT, WAS PAID TO PETIT JURORS, AND 26.3 PERCENT WAS PAID TO GRAND JURORS. DIAGRAMS AND TABLES PRESENT DATA ON JUROR UTILIZATION, JUROR EXPENDITURES FOR EACH DISTRICT COURT, AND INDIVIDUAL PROFILES FOR EACH OF THE 95 DISTRICTS. EACH UTILIZATION PROFILE GIVES HISTORICAL COMPARISON DATA FOR A 5-YEAR PERIOD IN SELECTED AREAS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A GLOSSARY OF TERMS, A LIST OF U.S. DISTRICT COURTS THAT HAVE ADOPTED RULES REDUCING THE SIZE OF CIVIL JURIES, AND A NATIONAL JUROR USAGE PROFILE. (PRG)