California Labor and Employment Law

A Good Jury Duty Experience (For a Change)

It seems one of America’s favorite pastimes is swapping stories and strategies about how to get out of jury duty. Before I knew any better, I was just as guilty of it as the next person. But if you really think about it, aside from voting, jury duty is one of the few times you are asked to get up from your couch and actually do something for your country. Jury duty is our justice system’s way of handing ordinary citizens the judge’s gavel (more…)

Popularity: 27% [?]

Harris Poll: 3 of 5 Americans Believe Juries Fair

Harris Interactive has conducted a poll that reveals some interesting things about jury duty and jury trials in America.

Here are some of the key findings:

1. A majority (65%) of Americans have been called to jury duty, but only a quarter actually served on a jury.
2. 3 out of 5 Americans believe juries can be fair and impartial all or most of the time; 2 out of 5 think juries are only occasionally, rarely or never fair and impartial.
3. Blacks were less likely to trust a jury than Whites and Hispanics.
4. More Americans trust a jury (50%) than a judge (23%) to give a fair verdict.
5. In the West, 89% of those who served on juries reported reaching a verdict (higher than any other region of the U.S.), while only 9% said the case settled.
6. The more education one has, the more likely one can avoid serving on a jury.

(more…)

Popularity: 40% [?]