A New Look for Jury Duty

Most Los Angeles County residents greet a red-and-white jury summons with unequal feelings of civic obligation and downright dread. The thought of two tedious weeks in a crowded jury room or roaming the courthouse halls generally overpowers the excitement of being part of a democratic justice system. That’s why efforts to make jury service more pleasant are welcome--and needed.

The ultimate goal: a one-day, one-trial system in which jurors not seated on a case in their first day are dismissed. Similar systems work in neighboring counties such as Orange and Ventura, where caseloads are lighter and trials are generally shorter. But the crush of jury trials in Los Angeles County--some 7,000 last year--have stymied local efforts.

Over the next two years, though, court officials plan to revamp the way most of the 400,000 residents summoned each year do jury service. Individually, each change should make service more pleasant. Together, they form the necessary first moves toward some sort of one-day, one-trial service. Already, volunteer docents at the downtown and Van Nuys courthouses answer questions and help new jurors find courtrooms. Less obviously, court officials have stopped sending a two-part summons in the mail, allowing potential jurors to deal with only a single notice.

Internally, court officials are trying to make better use of jurors’ time by deploying them more efficiently throughout the system. At the same time, efforts to crack down on the 20% of potential jurors who fail to report mean more and more scofflaws are landing in front of a judge. Juror excuses are studied more carefully and dismissals are tougher to get.

Making the system more efficient is the only way for a one-day, one-trial system to work. Jurors selected to hear a case would still have to serve the length of a trial, but everyone else could return to their normal lives--good news for employers and workers alike. Jury service is a right and responsibility, and it doesn’t have to be drudgery.