Slow Shift to One-Day, One-Trial

The Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest trial court in the world, is finally moving to make jury service less onerous. In three of the county’s 12 district courts, jurors now report for just one day unless they are chosen for a trial. The one-day, one-trial model will extend throughout the 238-judge court by Jan. 1, 2002. But the success of this change will hinge on more than the court’s actions.

Most jurors called to the Los Angeles Superior Court still must endure 10 days of teeth-gnashing boredom, packed into dingy jury assembly rooms and herded from courtroom to courtroom. Although the one-day, one-trial model is now adopted in 24 other counties, the Los Angeles court has resisted it. The court insists, with some justification, that its huge caseload and the relatively high number of potential jurors who aren’t fluent in English make the transition especially cumbersome and expensive here.

To fully implement the model, Los Angeles will have to call 1.5 million prospective jurors annually instead of the 200,000 required now. It will have to install computer systems capable of generating and managing all the summonses, plus many more telephone lines and staff members to handle calls. In addition to initially balking at the one-day requirement, the court’s leadership has lately been diverted by a bitter internal struggle over unification with local municipal courts. The resulting delay has already cost L.A. County some of the state money available to fund this change.

One-day, one-trial is a state requirement, but earlier this month the court sought and received a two-year extension, until Jan. 1, 2002, for full implementation. It should stick to that timetable.

The court needs $10.9 million in state funds for upgraded equipment and additional staff. It also needs new rules to shorten jury selection and the trials themselves. And it needs a commitment from employers to compensate employees summoned by the court.