Recording of Systemic Juror Exclusion: How States Continue to Disenfranchise Prospective Jurors Through Improper Policy Implementation, a webinar hosted by NACDL for Second Chance Month 2023.

On behalf NACDL, I write to express support for House Bill 2317/Senate Bill 789, which would increase the daily compensation rate for jurors in Virginia from its current rate of $30 to $50. This is a critical step needed to increase the diversity of juries in the Commonwealth.

but Was It a Constitutional Violation?

Jurors conducted an experiment using extrinsic evidence. No harm, no foul?

Jury verdicts represent statements of the community. Respect for a jury’s verdict should not be something about which we need to remind Americans.

Recording of Unlocking the Jury Box: How Felony Disenfranchisement Contributes to America's Jury Diversity Problem, a webinar hosted by NACDL for Second Chance Month 2022. 

Letter to the Virginia House Appropriations Committee in support of SB 730, legislation to increase the daily compensation rate for jurors in Virginia from $30 to $50. 

 NACDL advocated for legislation to allow individuals with criminal convictions to serve on juries.

Recording and resources for Struck: Race, Jury Selection, and the Need for Reform in Colorado. 

Some jurisdictions ban post-verdict juror interviews while others allow interviews when approved by the court, and in some jurisdictions, attorneys are not required to obtain court approval at all. Attorneys permitted to conduct such interviews have an opportunity to learn what did and did not work, as well as discover if the client was fairly convicted based on the evidence presented in court.

NACDL advocated for legislation to raise the daily compensation rate for jurors in Virginia.

Coalition letters to the Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and House of Delegates Judiciary Committee regarding proposed legislation (SB 921, HB 1213) to eliminate restrictions on jury eligibility for those with criminal convictions.

Messages from a jury to a judge should be disclosed to counsel. Counsel should be afforded an opportunity to be heard before the trial judge responds.

The Fourth Circuit in United States v. Johnson held that defendants were entitled to an evidentiary hearing pursuant to Remmer v. United States to determine if jurors remained impartial after a juror said defendants’ associates took cellphone photos of jurors during trial.

At Lee Christensen’s trial, several jurors reviewed Facebook posts discussing threats of riots and retaliation against jurors if they did not find the defendant guilty. The Iowa Court of Appeals (Iowa v. Christensen) concluded that the extraneous information introduced into the jury room was calculated to – and with reasonable probability did – influence the jury verdict. Thus, the trial court abused its discretion in denying Christensen’s new trial motion.