Jury Duty

* Most citizens of Los Angeles County are aware of the severe budget crisis facing the county. However, I wonder how many are aware of the amount of money spent in salaries for county employees who are granted unlimited leave with pay to serve jury duty.

I am currently serving on a jury in Superior Court in the Van Nuys courthouse. With alternates, there are 14 people on my jury. Of that number probably 50% are county or city employees. Multiply that number by the number of jurors serving or waiting in jury assembly rooms any one day in the County of Los Angeles and you can see that the cost is mind-boggling. I believe that a county that is closing health clinics and libraries can no longer afford to grant this luxury to its employees. Juries can be peopled by those employed in private industries that pay their employees for such service and those who are either retired or unemployed.

Continuation of this practice is obscene and unconscionable.

MADELENE F. TEPERSON

Encino