NCJ Number
55703
Date Published
1978
Length
252 pages
Annotation
A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO APPLY JURY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES TO THE OPERATION OF STATE COURT JURY SYSTEMS WAS INITIATED BY LEAA, AND ONE DEMONSTRATION SITE WAS IN RAPID CITY, S. DAK.
Abstract
AREA OF STUDY IN EVALUATING JUROR UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT IN RAPID CITY CONCERNED JUROR SELECTION, RESPONSIVENESS OF THE JURY SYSTEM TO COURT NEEDS, JURY SERVICE METHODS, COSTS AND CONDITIONS OF JURY SERVICE, CITIZEN AWARENESS, STATUTES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A JURY SERVICE PLAN. USING DATA COLLECTED FROM MARCH 1977 AND JUROR SATISFACTION. THIS ANALYSIS WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUT COURT IN RAPID CITY, PART OF SOUTH DAKOTA'S UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE CIRCUIT COURT IS A SINGLE-TIER TRIAL COURT OF GENERAL JURISDICTION. THE JURY SELECTION PROCESS OF THE COURT EMPLOYS FOUR LISTS: JURY SELECTION (SOURCE) LIST, PROSPECTIVE JUROR LIST, MASTER JUROR LIST, AND JURY PANEL (TERM) LIST. FINDINGS OF JURY MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON GETTING JURORS TO COURT (THE SUMMONING PROCESS AND THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS), PROVISION FOR JURORS AT THE COURTHOUSE, JURY SERVICE AND JURY PAYMENT RECORDS, AND JURY UTILIZATION (LENGTH OF TERM, PANEL SIZE, AND JUROR SCHEDULING). JURY UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT ARE VIEWED AS INTERRELATED AND ONGOING PROCESSES, RECOGNIZING THE NEEDS OF JURORS, WITNESSES, LITIGANTS, ATTORNEYS, JUDGES, COURT PERSONNEL, AND THE PUBLIC. RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE STATUTORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK OF THE COURT SYSTEM ARE DETAILED. SUPPORTING DATA, EXHIBITS, AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN APPENDIXES ARE PROVIDED TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE JURY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SOUTH DAKOTA. (DEP)