ORANGE COUNTY VOICES : County Has Duty to Respect Jurors’ Time : Courts: An appalling bureaucracy is treating citizens like cattle. It needs private-sector expertise for an overhaul.

As the recently retired human resources officer for a large manufacturing company with employees who serve as jurors in both Orange and Los Angeles counties, I have been well exposed to the jury system and how to make it work from an employer’s perspective.

This summer, as a prospective juror for the third time in about five years, I will tell you that Orange County has an appalling, wasteful, thoughtless and bureaucratic jury system, which is an insult to the citizens. Though it is better than Los Angeles, the county should take no comfort in operating a system that considers only the judges, lawyers, litigants and criminals and provides “imprisonment” for its prospective citizen jurors, even if for shorter service. Though my experience with the federal judicial system is limited, I have observed that it was efficient, timely and considerate.

Jurors get the worst Santa Ana court parking area, farther away than the lawbreakers. People are asked to sit or stand, packed in from 7:30 to 9:50 a.m. for only a 20-minute film and a few brief orientation comments. Two hours wasted. The morning break was from 9:50 to 10:15 and then came lunch from 11:25 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (at least another hour wasted) for 200 people, who have been sitting in a hot, stuffy, poorly air-conditioned, uncomfortable pen. Only 20 people had been called for court.

The afternoon was equally dismal, only hotter, with a similar 20-person call. For the third consecutive time, I was dismissed without ever leaving this room (except lunch) along with the other 80%. For me, the whole day wasted.

The county shouldn’t throw up its hands and say nothing can be done. This is America, where everything can be done, even occasionally in the government bureaucracy. For openers, if they allowed “courthouse steps” settlements and plea bargains to only occur up to the day prior to trial day, trials could start at 8:00 a.m. with a sufficient, random panel scheduled by telephone notification. Also, in my federal court experience, the judge allowed 45 minutes for lunch, not two hours (and 10 minute breaks).

The court might have to change its working schedules and habits, as have most citizens these days when time has become so important. Highly paid surgeons start operating at 7 a.m. and so do business executives and their employees, or earlier. Judges aren’t immune. With growing caseloads and money still in short supply, a major system overhaul is the key, not more prospective jurors to waste.

It’s time for the courts to make their mark on Orange County’s atrocious insult to its people, who would like to feel good about serving as productive and contributing citizens instead of being used as cattle. Hire some expertise from the private sector, be prepared to confront the entrenched and make the big changes.