HOUSTON — The American justice system was founded in part on a principle that everyone should be fairly judge by a committee of their peers, but what if you peer can't make it because they can't afford the parking?
The Harris County District Clerk's Office had a professional polling company survey nearly 2,000 Harris County residents eligible for jury duty and learned lost wages, low compensation and parking fees were all major obstacles for jurors.
It also showed that African-Americans and Hispanics were significantly under-represented on jury panels, the district clerk said.
"The Stand for Justice" campaign includes three billboards, intentionally showing a diverse group of jurors, which will be placed in three neighborhoods where jury participation is notably low.
"This diversity on the jury will bring more empathy to the justice system and will lead to fairer outcomes," District Clerk Marilyn Burgess said.
Officials said the campaign in the product of a two-year effort, and the billboards will stay up until March 31. Juror participation in Harris County has traditionally been as low as 20%, the district clerk said.
Burgess added jury duty is especially a problem for hourly workers who can't afford to skip multiple days. She said the office is working to increase funding for higher juror compensation, to cover related-expense such as parking and improving the accuracy of juror selection.
The coronavirus pandemic has allowed the office to get approve for a e-jury system, which allows jurors to pre-register online or over the phone. They're then given reminder phone calls for their specific jury duty date.
"One of the biggest reasons for low appearance is jurors feel it's a waste of time, and that's because so many show up and are dismissed without ever being assigned to a courtroom," Burgess said.
Burgess would like to continue using the system, including expanding its use, once the office has secured the proper funds.
Among other issues cited during the survey were distrust in the justice system and inconvenience, such as struggling to find parking, making time to clear your schedule, making the long drive.
The office is also investing in a social media campaign to encourage jury participation and has created a PSA that will air on some local channels.
"Research shows us that diverse juries spend more time on deliberation, make more accurate statements and those inaccurate statements made are corrected," Burgess said. "We all bring different perspectives to the deliberation table. The life experiences of a 20-something-year-old African-American male is quite different than that of a 50- or 70-year-old Caucasian from an affluent community."