July 13, 2009
Seminar Focuses on Jury Issues
Preparing for a jury trial was the topic of a recent course offered by the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College and the Ohio Jury Management Association (OJMA).
In 2008, the Judicial College approached the OJMA about conducting a “Jury Management: What You Need to Know” course with a focus on court personnel and the everyday operations of a court anticipating a jury trial.
During the course, the participants, Judicial College staff and four representatives of OJMA presented the history of juries, summoning juries, assisting prospective jurors, and statutes and rules that govern jury administration in Ohio. Forty-five court personnel from across Ohio participated and presented questions that led to plans to present the topic of “Jury Management of Capital Cases” next year.
To emphasize the value of the course, Marie Ruckel, jury commissioner for Athens County Common Pleas Court, prepared a summary of 12 items of interest that she presented to her judges. The topics included: how to handle convicted felons who receive a jury questionnaire, keeping a “suppression file” of permanently excused jurors, record retention, using the OJMA video for orientation, and juror debriefing that includes mental health professionals when necessary.
Vicky Unger, OJMA executive director, said that “at a time when juries and jurors are prominent in the news and as participants in our government, the questions presented in the small group setting will assist OJMA as the organization responds to the needs of court personnel in Ohio.”
Founded in 2000, the OJMA evolved from a project of the Ohio State Bar Foundation Class of 1998. Since then the organization continues to present the annual Ohio Jury Services Conference every spring and conducts an annual survey, publishes a quarterly newsletter, Jury Notes, and produced a DVD, “Making A Difference: The American Juror.” The DVD was viewed by those attending, and it is used for jury orientation and for civic group presentations.
Presenters included; Scott F. Sturges, an attorney and one of the original OSBF Class members; Thomas Shields, Franklin County Municipal Court jury commissioner; Jean Atkin, Lucas County Common Pleas Court administrator; and David Ballmann, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court jury administrator.