JURY DUTY OR DUTY FREE? A Multi-Party Qualitative Analysis of Jury Duty Completion and Dismissals

Abstract

While jury duty is the only civic duty specifically required of American citizens, many individuals attempt to avoid this obligation—both before appearing in court and once they do appear. This thesis addresses the latter, investigating the court process involved in jury duty completion and dismissals. I conducted in-depth interviews with the three critical parties involved in this process: 22 “likely to appear” jurors of various age brackets; three court administrators in diverse roles; and eight trial lawyers of discrete legal backgrounds who live, work, and practice in New York City, where many jury reforms have already been implemented. These interviews revealed the distinct goals that each party harbors in relation to juror completion and dismissals. After finding a prevalence of time concerns and a desire for greater participation among jurors, I evaluate the success of previous reform efforts and suggest additional recommendations that might increase participation in jury duty.