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Best Practices for Jury Selection and Service in Pennsylvania

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Best Practices for Jury Selection and Service in Pennsylvania Best Practices for Jury Selection and Service in Pennsylvania THE PENNSYLVANIA INTERBRANCH COMMISSION FOR GENDER, RACIAL AND ETHNIC FAIRNESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The members of the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness (the “Com mission”) are grateful for the support of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Legislature. Their ongoing commitment is vital to our mission of fostering a court system that is as inclusive and equitable as possible. The Commission also thanks the members of its Jury Service Committee for their guidance and assistance with this project. Finally, the Commission wishes to extend special thanks to its staff, especially former staff attorney Sarah Breslin, for their tireless efforts in researching, drafting and ed iting this guidebook. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Helen E. Casale, Esq. Lynn A. Marks, Esq. Honorable Kim Berkeley Clark Lucille Marsh, Esq. Honorable Deborah E. Curcillo Leonard J. Rivera, Esq. Kay Marcus Davis, Esq. Honorable Judith L. Schwank Khadija T. Diggs, Esq. Bernadette Eyler Smith, CFP Daniel E. Fitzsimmons, Esq. Honorable John E. Wetzel Homer C. Floyd Rhonda Hill Wilson, Esq. Jeanette H. Ho, Esq. Nora Winkelman, Esq. Roberta D. Liebenberg, Esq. THE JURY SERVICE COMMITTEE Lynn A. Marks, Esq., Chair E. Marie Queen Honorable Stephanie A. Domitrovich Commissioner Daniel Rendine Greg Hurley Leonard Rivera, Esq. Honorable Thomas King Kistler Rhonda Hill Wilson, Esq. Rick Pierce Lisette M. McCormick, Esq., Executive Director Patrick Martin COMMISSION STAFF Lisette M. McCormick, Esq. Margaret H. Ogden, Esq. Janet Bollers Executive Director Staff Attorney Paralegal © September 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2 Section One: Jury Summons Process.............................................................................................................3 Section Two: Juror Utilization........................................................................................................................6 Section Three: Jury Source Lists....................................................................................................................8 Section Four: Juror Qualifications................................................................................................................10 Section Five: Juror Exemptions and Excusals...............................................................................................13 Section Six: Juror Failure to Appear............................................................................................................16 Section Seven: Juror Compensation............................................................................................................18 Section Eight: Term of Jury Service..............................................................................................................21 Section Nine: Jury Voir Dire ........................................................................................................................23 Section Ten: Peremptory Challenges...........................................................................................................28 Section Eleven: Juror Privacy.......................................................................................................................32 Section Twelve: Juror Security.....................................................................................................................34 Section Thirteen: Jury Education and Appreciation Campaigns...................................................................35 Section Fourteen: Juror Childcare...............................................................................................................37 Section Fifteen: Juror Stress.......................................................................................................................38 Section Sixteen: Juror Service Scams..........................................................................................................40 Section Seventeen: Social Media and Jury Instructions................................................................................42 Appendices................................................................................................................................................44 A - Juror Summons Mailer with Summons Form, Juror Qualification Questionnaire, Map of Courthouse and Parking Instructions, and Important Juror Information..............................................................................................................44 B - Proposed Revisions to Section 4503 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes: Rules for Exemption, Excusal and Postponement, Jurors Failing to Report to Duty, Juror Excusal & Postponement Request Form and Jury FAQs..........................................................................................................................................................................48 C - Failure to Appear Notice......................................................................................................................................................53 D - Juror Childcare Information..................................................................................................................................................54 E - Tips for Coping After Jury Duty............................................................................................................................................56 F - Section 1.180 of the Suggested PA Standard Civil Jury Instructions......................................................................................58 Sources......................................................................................................................................................61 INTRODUCTION Since the early days of the republic, jury service has been a mark of citizenship and a touchstone of civic duty. Indeed, for those who are called, jury service can be what Thomas Jefferson referred to as “the only anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” Widespread public participation in the jury system is critical to establishing public confidence in the system. Without that confidence, the rule of law, as well as the health of our democracy, is endangered. In 2003, the Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System found widely differing jury selection procedures in judicial districts across the state. These procedures not only dif fered from one another but were often found to be ineffective and inefficient. In some jurisdictions, jury commissioners or administrators regularly summoned far more jurors than were needed, at great expense to the counties; the jury source lists tapped far too few minority jurors; and thousands of summons were returned on a daily basis with outdated addresses. With this in mind, then Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy requested that the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness (“Commission”) search for the best practices among judicial districts in Pennsylvania and nationally, and provide recommendations to the Court incorporating those practices in a standardized set of procedures for selecting juries across the state. The goals were to improve the efficiency of the process of jury selection and to increase public participation and diversity on ju ries statewide. On September 12, 2007, the Commission submitted the results of its study to the Court, entitled Suggested Standardized Procedures for Jury Selection in Pennsylvania. The report covered thirteen areas of jury practice, including the Juror Summons Process; Juror Utilization; Jury Source Lists; Juror Qualifications; Juror Exemptions, Deferrals and Excusals; Juror Failure to Appear; Juror Compensation; Terms of Jury Service; Jury Voir Dire; Peremptory Challenges; Juror Privacy; Juror Security; and Jury Education and Appreciation Campaigns. The Commission consulted national experts and studies on jury service, reports on jury reform produced by other states and information about practices utilized by individual counties in Pennsylvania. The current report, entitled Best Practices for Jury Selection and Service in Pennsylvania, is a revised version of the 2007 report. We have updated the information and resources for each of the above- mentioned areas of jury practice and also added the following four topics: Juror Childcare; Juror Stress; Jury Service Scams; and Social Media and Jury Instructions. The report addresses the elements of the process most likely to influence citizens’ willingness to serve and to determine who is selected to serve. Our goal was to uncover the most efficient and progressive practices in jury selection around the country and provide that information to the Supreme Court and to judicial districts throughout Pennsylvania. 2 | Best Practices for Jury Selection and Service in Pennsylvania 1 JURY SUMMONS PROCESS A jury summons is often confusing and difficult for the layperson to understand. This lack of clarity contributes to the failure of potential jurors to respond to summonses. In addition to clarity, a jury summons must contain the most recent contact information for the potential juror in order to maximize juror
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