Abstract
Juror utilization is one of two key performance measures in jury operations. Specifically, juror utilization measures how effectively courts use the citizens who are summoned and report for jury service. It reflects both customer service and organizational efficiency aspects of jury service. In the fall of 2009, the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of Courts, contracted the National Center for State Courts to assist in an “Assessment of Juror Utilization in the Superior Courts of California.” The project focused on all aspects of juror utilization—panel size, trial date certainty, and summoning practices--as well as other topics related to respectful treatment of jurors. The project was conducted in conjunction with an independent study of panel size reduction efforts initiated by the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee (TCPJAC)/Court Executive Advisory Committee (CEAC) Joint Working Group on Jury Administration (JWGJA). That study focused specifically on efforts to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of panel size guidelines by eight pilot courts. This report describes key findings from the panel size reduction study including common problems encountered by the participating pilot courts and lessons that should be imparted to other superior courts seeking to improve panel utilization.
This abstract has been taken from the authors' executive summary.
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
5-2011
Publication Information
National Center for State Courts (2011)
Repository Citation
Hannaford-Agor, Paula; Waters, NIcole L.; Jones, Theresa; and Hall, Daniel J., "Assessment of Juror Utilization in the Superior Courts of California" (2011). Faculty Publications. 2403.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/2403