Two Views, Same Conclusion

It just so happened that we were on jury duty on Feb. 28 when California Chief Justice Ronald M. George toured the county courthouse. While our experience no doubt was very different from his, we came to many of the same conclusions.

George was there as part of a tour of several county courthouses to get a firsthand look at some of the local justice system’s successes and problems. Last year, he appointed a statewide Task Force on Jury Instructions, and the Judicial Council of California has been looking into improvements in juries.

Our presence was under quite different circumstances, the involuntary discharge of a civic duty to answer a jury summons and show up for the 7:45 a.m. check-in. Our paths never intersected, and chances are pretty good that the judge did not dig deep for change at a coffee mess, as we did. For a prospective juror, the long line that crept around the wall of the first floor stirred old memories of waiting in line in the military. Alas, chief judges, like admirals, do not hurry up and wait.

But our experience, though dramatically different, was generally consistent with the positive experience for jurors conjured by the visiting chief justice. George said he was impressed with the one-day, one-trial jury selection system and “user-friendly” services in the Santa Ana courthouse. That generally squared with the experience of being a prospective juror. Courthouse personnel went out of their way to show consideration, mindful that many were there at some hardship or inconvenience.

The overcrowding problem in the jury assembly room was immediately apparent, and many jurors were dispatched to wait in the third-floor cafeteria. As much as this inconvenience needs a permanent remedy, jurors that day did get to return to first-floor jury room.

Superior Court Judge H. Warren Siegel came by to give a short but informative talk on the importance of serving on juries. Civic duty also got a boost in a good film, narrated by the actor Fess Parker, explaining the jury process and the expectations for jurors.

We know that jury duty is disruptive for almost everyone, and for many, it is a real sacrifice. George’s presence indicated a laudable statewide effort to improve the experience. Orange County can be proud that its own county courthouse is in the vanguard of making that experience a positive one.