NCJ Number
49930
Date Published
1978
Length
38 pages
Annotation
A CONSULTANT TEAM WAS ESTABLISHED, WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE LEAA, TO EVALUATE JURY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PLANNING IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C., AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED PLANNING.
Abstract
THE TEAM CONDUCTED ONSITE VISITS TO DISCUSS JURY MANAGEMENT NEEDS AND ALTERNATIVES WITH CIRCUIT COURT AND COUNTY OFFICALS AND PREPARED A REPORT CONTAINING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE AND LONG-RANGE ACTIONS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: (1) THE GREENVILLE COUNTY COURT SYSTEM SHOULD IMPLEMENT THE CONCEPT OF JURY POOLING SINCE THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF CALLING INDIVIDUAL PANELS OF JURORS FOR EACH COURT APPEARS TO BE INEFFICIENT; (2) A JURY ASSEMBLY AREA SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE; (3) BECAUSE THERE IS NO CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION LINK BETWEEN JURORS AND COURTS, A FULL-TIME JURY COORDINATOR SHOULD BE DESIGNATED; (4) FORMS SENT TO PROSPECTIVE JURORS SHOULD BE REVISED TO ELIMINATE MISUNDERSTANDING; (5) JURORS SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO REPORT EARLIER SO THAT QUALIFICATION AND ORIENTATION PROCEDURES ARE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF COURT; (6) THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR JURORS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY THE JURY COORDINATOR RATHER THAN BY A JUDGE; (7) AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS SHOULD BE EMPLOYED TO PROVIDE ORIENTATION INFORMATION TO JURORS; AND (8) A DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR JURY MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED SO THAT THE SUMMONS RETURN CAN BE ELIMINATED. LONG-RANGE OBJECTIVES/RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERN THE REVIEW OF ALL LAWS ABOUT JURY MANAGEMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED JURY SELECTION AND SUMMONING SYSTEM, AND ONE DAY/ONE TRIAL JURY SERVICE. JUROR SUMMONS FORMS ARE INCLUDED, AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON EFFICIENT JURY MANAGEMENT IN SMALL COURTS IS CONTAINED IN AN APPENDIX. (DEP)