Proposal would centralize jury management system, axe local boards

LANSING — House Democrats have reintroduced legislation to alter the state’s jury system by centralizing its management.

The proposed changes also would allow people previously convicted of felonies to serve on juries.

“The intent is to try to create an opportunity for folks to get a fair and impartial trial,” said Rep. Amos O’Neal, D-Saginaw — one of the sponsors.

To create a centralized jury management system — which would be operated by the State Court Administrative Office — the proposal calls for axing a little-known commission in every county: the jury board.

Jury boards, also called jury commissions in some counties, are responsible for ensuring there are enough prospective jurors available to serve.

The boards, consisting of three voters appointed by county boards of commissioners to serve six-year terms, receive a list of eligible potential jurors from the Secretary of State each year.

The board uses that list to create a randomly selected pool of potential jurors who can be summoned for duty.

State law allows jury boards to use a “historic method” of drawing paper slips from a box to assemble a panel of jurors.

Beyond their official responsibilities, jury boards also answer questions and address concerns about service, said Ingham County Jury Board Chair Ted Seitz.

“Sometimes it’s hard to bring those kinds of concerns to a circuit court judge,” said Seitz, who is an attorney in Lansing. “As opposed to administrators or judges who come in and come out during that time, the jury board has a history of service in that county.”

Seitz said his board has helped court administrators make jury duty easier through changes like providing free parking and altering confusing language on jury questionnaires.

O’Neal, however, said the boards’ responsibilities could be better handled by court administrators who are experts.

Seitz estimated the jury board responsibilities take each member five hours per year.

The legislation resurrects Democrats’ unsuccessful efforts from last year to change the system when the legislation never left the House Criminal Justice Committee.

Cosponsors of the new legislation include Democratic Reps. Tyrone Carter of Detroit, Cynthia Neeley of Flint and Penelope Tsernoglou of East Lansing.

O’Neal said he hasn’t heard of any opposition, although there are no Republican cosponsors.

If there are any objections to any part of the proposals, O’Neal said, Democrats would be willing to consider changes.

“I would be hard pressed to think they wouldn’t want this to be utilized in our judicial system,” O’Neal said.

The legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.