NCJ Number
156159
Journal
Bench Press Dated: (May/June 1995) Pages: 1,6-7
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Arizona Supreme Court Committee on More Effective Use of Juries deliberated for 2 years before proposing sweeping reforms to the State's jury system.
Abstract
The Committee strived to reduce juror passivity and insufficient understanding of the evidence and judicial instructions needed to reach a verdict. The Committee also wanted to improve jury ethnic diversity to reflect the community in which the trial occurs. The Committee presented 55 recommendations to the Supreme Court and the Arizona Judicial Council. These included allowing jurors to discuss evidence among themselves during the course of the trial, providing jurors with written legal instructions from the court, authorizing the judge and counsel to assist a deadlocked jury that requires assistance, expanding juror source lists to improve jury representativeness, and permitting juror note-taking during the trial. While these recommendations have received support from legal experts around the country, there is also widespread resistance to changing the traditional form of the jury. Many of the proposed changes can be made in Arizona through administrative order or court rule; in the meantime, the State Supreme Court has requested public comment on these reforms. 1 table