NCJ Number
14555
Date Published
1971
Length
48 pages
Annotation
A PROPOSED SYSTEM OF JUROR UTILIZATION WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF JURORS CALLED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY, IN ORDER TO REDUCE JUROR COSTS AND THE AMOUNT OF UNNECESSARY JUROR WAITING TIME.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THE PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK HAS BEEN TO CALL IN MANY MORE JURORS THAN ARE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO INSURE THE PRESENCE OF AVAILABLE JURORS TO FILL ANY POSSIBLE NEED OF THE JUDGES. WASTED TIME OF PROSPECTIVE JURORS, AND GREAT EXPENDITURES IN JUROR'S FEES ARE CITED AS THE RESULTS OF THIS POLICY. GUIDELINES FOR CALL-INS, THE REDUCTION OF PANEL SIZES, THE LENGTH AND TIMING OF JURY TERMS, DECREASING THE NUMBER OF JURY DAYS, AND NOTIFYING THE JURY STAFF OF THE JUDGES' NEEDS ARE LISTED. UNDER THE GUIDELINES THE NUMBER OF JURORS CALLED IN COULD BE REDUCED BY ALMOST 40 PERCENT WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE SUPPLY OF JURORS FOR VOIR DIRES. A SAMPLE APPLICATION OF THE RECOMMENDED SYSTEM AND GUIDELINES FOR THE JURY STAFF ARE INCLUDED AS WELL. THE APPENDIXES INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF A JURY SELECTION PROCEDURE IN CALIFORNIA, AND A CHART OF THE TIMES OF TRIAL STARTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)