Low Jury Turnout for Rodriguez Case
By: Candace Hutchins
Updated: January 23, 2008
600 people were summoned for jury duty in the murder trial of Rosendo Rodriguez, but only 153 showed up. So what happens to the other 447 people? 153 out of 600 jurors, that's 25 percent of the people who were summoned. The truth is while that number seems like a low turn-out.
It's actually right on the money for the percentage of people who usually show up for jury duty.
The latest court records show that typically only 25 percent of potential jurors show up. The reasons vary from medical issues and personal problems to people saying they didn't get the summons in the mail. That's one reason the Lubbock County Courthouse is instating 'I-jury'. It's a system in which jurors would recieve their summons via email, something a recent survey showed potential jurors would prefer. Never-the-less, when it comes to the Rodriguez case, only 25 percent of jurors showed up. Leaving the other 447 potential jurors to pay the consequences.
"There's a fine and possible contempt of court if someone doesn't show up for jury", says David Slayton, Director of Court Administration.
And while most of the jurors that didn't show up have legit excuses. It is the law that you show up for jury duty, unless you are excused. Court officials say it's a priveledge and a chance for people who live in Lubbock to set the standard of what's right and wrong for our community.
