Deputies Recruit Jurors on Downtown Street

The child support case was stalled. The judge was stymied. The lawyers were milling about the courtroom.

Because there were not enough jurors for a trial, the case was in danger of being dismissed.

So Municipal Judge Mel Recana, invoking a little-known statute, sent deputies onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles in search of panelists to avoid a mistrial.

This was the second time in a year that a municipal judge has sent deputies out into the street to find jurors. Last December, Municipal Judge Marion J. Johnson sent five deputies into the street to find 12 jurors and two alternates.

“These are the only two cases I can recall where this was done, so it’s still pretty unusual,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Henry Garza. “They used do this in the 1960s, but you don’t hear about it much today.”

Two deputies stood at the corner of 1st and Grand Streets at 5 p.m. Monday and recruited 13 jurors, Garza said.