Model legislation aims to improve fairness, inclusiveness of juries

Published: 2004-08-20

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- "My dog is in heat and needs me." "I never tell the truth." "I'm 86 years old and deaf as a doornail." "The legal system is perverted." "I'm a soccer mom." All of these excuses and dozens more have been offered by U.S. citizens as reasons for them to avoid serving on a jury. Thousands of other Americans don't even bother to offer an excuse, but fail to show up in court to respond to a jury summons. State laws exclude a wide range of people in particular occupations, including members of the clergy, doctors, lawyers, volunteer firefighters, pharmacists, CPAs, registered nurses and even, in Wyoming, embalmers. But the Jury Patriotism Act, a model state law proposed by the Washington-based American Legislative Exchange Council, seeks to expand the jury pool by repealing occupational exemptions, giving each person one automatic postponement of jury service if needed, tightening the hardship excuses for not serving and toughening the penalties for failure to answer a jury summons. It also would create a "lengthy trial fund," financed by a "minimal fee" to be established by each state, from every attorney who files a civil case. That money would permit jurors who suffer financial losses because of their service to apply for supplemental compensation of up to $300 a day on trials lasting longer than three days.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .