ABC News is reporting an American Bar Association survey that found, among other things:
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Three in four people would prefer that their cases be decided by juries instead of judges.
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About half believe jurors are treated well by courts.
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Nearly 60 percent look forward to jury service.
While this is great, if true, I wonder why it's so hard to get people to show up for jury selection? The article goes on to name a few of the problems like the cost and shabby conditions but I think they leave out the most important problems: 1. Waiting for hours at a time before getting chosen and more importantly; 2. Waiting for hours at a time only to be told to go home.
I say the second problem is more important because no one want to waste hours waiting around only to be told they're not needed. I have seen studies that indicate people who actually serve have a much higher opinion of the process. From that I draw the conclusion that once you see what the process is and what it's for, you come away with a deep appreciation of how important it is to serve as a juror.
On the other, waiting around and then going home is just a waste of time. Hence, the problem, as I see it, is to call only as many jurors as needed for a trial and to keep lawyers from sending people home without reason.
