NCJ Number
67762
Date Published
1979
Length
251 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS IN STATE AND LOCAL COURTS IS EVALUATED.
Abstract
FROM 1976 TO 1979, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND 18 PARTICIPATING COURTS ATTEMPTED TO ATTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN JUROR SELECTION AND SERVICE, JURY REPRESENTATIVENESS, AND IN STATUTES AND COURT RULES. IN ADDITION, A 'COMMUNITY OF COURTS' WAS ESTABLISHED IN WHICH IDEAS ABOUT COMMON PROBLEMS WERE EXCHANGED IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE THE BEST POSSIBLE JURY SYSTEM IN EACH OF THE COURTS. FOR THE EVALUATION, 10 OF THE 18 DEMONSTRATION COURTS WERE SELECTED, AND THEIR JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS WERE ASSESSED AND COMPARED TO THOSE IN 10 'COMPARISON' COURTS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. DATA WAS COLLECTED AT FOUR CRITICAL POINTS: BEFORE THE INITIATION OF THE PROGRAM; AT AN INTERIM POINT NINE TO TEN MONTHS INTO THE PROGRAM; IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM'S FORMAL TERMINATION; AND APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AFTER TERMINATION. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE DEMONSTRATION COURTS INITIATED THREE TIMES THE NUMBER OF MODIFICATIONS INITIATED BY THE COMPARISON COURTS. FOR MORE EQUITY IN THE JURY SELECTION PROCESS, FIVE OF THE DEMONSTRATION COURTS AND TWO OF THE COMPARISON COURTS DECIDED TO UTILIZE COMPUTERS, AND THREE DEMONSTRATION COURTS DRAFTED AND SECURED THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS. ALL COURTS WERE ABLE TO REDUCE EXPENDITURES; HOWEVER, GREATER EFFICIENCIES IN THE SELECTION OF PROSPECTIVE JURORS HAVE NOT BEEN DEMONSTRATED. A SURVEY OF JURORS AND COURT PERSONNEL REVEALED THAT ALMOST ALL HAD FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THEIR JURY SYSTEMS. FIGURES, TABLES, CHARTS, FOOTNOTES, A REFERENCE LIST, AND APPENDIXES CONTAINING MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS, DESCRIPTIONS OF JURY SYSTEM OPERATIONS IN THE COURTS EVALUATED, AND MODIFICATIONS ARE INCLUDED.