NCJ Number
102497
Date Published
1982
Length
105 pages
Annotation
The Jury Utilization and Management Task Force, appointed in the spring of 1981, examined New Jersey's petit jury system, evaluated several projects designed to improve it, and developed recommendations for statewide implementation.
Abstract
The task force identified four major problems with the existing jury system. The obligation of jury service is distributed inequitably among the population. Outdated statutory provisions inhibit the jury system's effective operation. Juror compensation is inadequate. Long terms of service and days of inactivity have created a pervasive desire among the public to avoid jury service. Recommendations for reform seek to correct these problems by eliminating the onerous and burdensome nature of jury duty and substituting a service experience recognized as a worthwhile, respectable, and significant obligation of citizenship. Toward this end, the task force recommends that residency, age, and other juror requirements be eliminated, that excuse and exemptions policies be tightened and strictly enforced, and that a 1-week limit be placed on the period of summons. It further suggests that compensation be increased to a flat $10.00 per day, that jurors be statutorily protected from penalty on account of jury duty, and that statutes governing the operation and administration of the jury system be updated to increase flexibility and efficiency. Proposed statutory revisions and other materials are appended. (Author abstract modified)