The late Richard Pryor jokingly/seriously said of the U.S. criminal justice system, “You go down there looking for justice, that’s what you find – just us.”
One of the reasons, of many, is that the historic and arguably current pool of jurors is rarely a jury of our peers. Blacks and Hispanics rarely, if ever are reflected in jury pools that equate to their percentages in any given city or county.
Harris County, for example, renowned for its cultural diversity, has this disparity on display regularly, as it is displayed nationwide.
Even with its rich tapestry of diverse communities, disparities persist in the representation of members of these diverse communities in jury appearances. Blacks comprise 22% of the population, yet are only represented at 17% in jury appearances. For Hispanics, it’s a 33% to 26% disparity.
“The District Clerk’s Office is dedicated to achieving greater representation in minorities and young residents so that our jury panels reflect the diversity of our community.”
Marilyn Burgess
To address this reality, Harris County District Clerk Office Marilyn Burgess recently unveiled its latest initiative, the “You Complete Justice” campaign.
The campaign aims to elevate awareness regarding the pivotal role of juror service, implement measures to enhance the juror experience and address disparities in juror representation, notably among Blacks and Hispanics.
“The District Clerk’s Office is dedicated to achieving greater representation in minorities and young residents so that our jury panels reflect the diversity of our community,” said Burgess during a recent press conference.
The Clerk’s Office led a similar campaign years ago but ran into an unexpected roadblock.
“We did a campaign back in February of 2020 trying to get appearance rates up. At that time our appearance rate in Harris County was around 22%, and then COVID hit one month later. So, all of that effort, we had no response from because we shut down jury service. So, now we’re trying it again,” she said.
Burgess said that when looking at all Harris County residents, the average rate of jury appearance stands at 14% with a response rate of 51%, while “a staggering 45% of Harris County residents who receive a summons from our office fail to respond in any way.”
To drastically improve those numbers, Harris County’s “You Complete Justice” campaign’s key initiatives include a significant pay increase for jurors, to acknowledge their invaluable contribution to the judicial process. Since Oct. 1, 2023, compensation for the 1st day of jury service increased from $6 to $30, with subsequent days, if selected to serve, ranging from $40 to $58. Also, jury service pay is now uploaded to a debit card approximately two days after jury service is completed.
The campaign will leverage digital media platforms to disseminate information and encourage prompt response to jury summons.
Bishop James Dixon II, pastor of The Community of Faith Church and president of NAACP Houston, issued a call to action, hoping his sobering words might inspire more Harris County residents to become jurors.
“It is quite necessary for us to take seriously this assignment and this opportunity to stand for justice and to make sure that the constitutional rights every individual has are fulfilled,” said Dixon. “To be tried by a jury of your peers should not be and is not a luxury. It is the law. And it is what every human being deserves according to our Constitution.
“All of us are busy… But when we talk about justice, is there a more important issue in the common collective of our civil responsibility?” asked Dixon. “We need more minorities participating. We need more young people participating. And as our clerk did read off the percentages of the population that we represent, when you talk about how many of us are going to trial, those numbers increase drastically. So, this gap, this void is significant and is serious.”
Other press conference speakers included Judge Rabeea Collier from the 113th Civil Court and chair of the Jury Committee of the Harris County Board of District Judges, Dayana Iza representing Mi Familia Vota and Al Maldonado from LULAC.
The event also garnered widespread participation from local organizations dedicated to civic engagement and advocacy within Harris County’s Black and Hispanic communities.
