Cross Section of the Community

The Union Tribune has an article on a challenge (scheduled to be heard on February 25th) to how San Diego summons its jurors. According to the article, the "core of the challenge is the analysis by a San Diego State University professor" [John Weeks] who concluded that "Latinos eligible for jury service are underrepresented in the downtown jury pool by 50 percent."

The defense attorney who raised the issue attributes the under representation to two factors:
(1) Erroneously dropping names from the "master list."
Apparently, San Diego is moving in the opposite direction of other locales which are looking ever increasingly at ways to expand their lists.

(2) Giving jurors the option to serve in various parts of the county which are closer to their home. This idea of cutting down commute times for jurors by splitting up the county is also being challenged in Washington.