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Dec. 08, 2024 06:16PM EST
Jul. 05, 2021 11:00AM EST
Courts seeing spike in people wanting to serve on juries
Fewer Americans are trying to get out of jury duty, and legal experts say this may reflect people's growing desire to combat systemic racism.
Driving the news: Jury consultant Jason Bloom tells Axios that, historically, as many as one in four U.S. adults who are called for jury duty seek to be excused, citing hardships. But now, that number has shrunk to around only 5%-10%, he says.
Why it matters: There's a clear upside to enhanced civic engagement, but former prosecutors warn that it's as essential as ever to make sure that potential jurors are fair and don't come into cases with agendas.
The big picture: The projected jump in participation follows the killing of George Floyd; the trial, conviction and 22.5-year sentence of former police officer Derek Chauvin; and record voter turnout in 2020.
- During Chauvin jury selections earlier this year, a surprising number of Hennepin County residents in Minnesota were OK with serving, and a few were been flat out excited, as Nick Halter, the author of Axios Twin Cities, reports.
- One prospective juror said she voted in the November election because she wanted to become eligible for jury duty and called the process "fascinating." Another potential juror even said he was willing to delay his wedding to serve on the jury.
Courts are also facing case backlogs as they reopen following pandemic shutdowns.
What they're saying: “There are many ways to impact our communities," District of Columbia Attorney General and National Association of Attorneys General president Karl Racine tells Axios. "A critical piece of civic engagement is serving on a jury and I hope this means more people will answer that call to service."
- Katrina Dewey, the founder of the legal publication Lawdragon, said some people have concluded that if they want more racial justice, jury service may be one of the most profound and impactful ways to achieve that: "I do think that we are entering an era of maybe participatory populism."
- "A lot more people want to participate in their community and in society," Bloom said. "And there's not much you can do about that, besides vote, or sit on a jury."
Yes, but: "You want people there who really believe in equal justice under the law," David Iglesias, a Wheaton College law professor and a former U.S. attorney, tells Axios. "You want people who try to be as race-neutral as possible."
- "I want jurors to look at the evidence in individual cases and not for a cause," said Susana Martinez, the former New Mexico governor and a former prosecutor. "Can you be unbiased? That's what I want to know."
What we're watching: The National District Attorneys Association and the Vera Causa Group in May announced a partnership to support efforts of prosecutors to make the U.S. criminal justice system more racially equitable.
- The groups are hosting virtual trainings on racial equity and anti-bias programs in the criminal justice system.
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May. 18, 2021 01:05PM EST
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy comes out against bipartisan deal on Jan. 6 commission
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will oppose a bipartisan deal announced last week that would form a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, his office announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: McCarthy's opposition to the deal, which was negotiated with the input of the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, shows how divisions continue to plague the GOP in the wake of Jan. 6.
- The formation of a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission had been delayed for months, after some Republicans insisted that the scope of the investigation be expanded to include violence by far-left protesters last summer.
- McCarthy echoed that sentiment in a statement on Tuesday, and argued that the commission would be "duplicative and potentially counterproductive" due to other investigations related to Jan. 6 being carried out by Congress and the federal government.
Behind the scenes: House Republicans were unsure about how to address the commission, and debated over the weekend what approach to take, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.
- The feeling among most members is that everyone is nervous about how it could be weaponized to subpoena members.
- There are also concerns about how it might alienate members of the GOP base, as well as former President Trump — who was impeached by the House for inciting the riot.
What they're saying: "While the Speaker has wasted time playing political games, numerous Congressional and intergovernmental agency efforts have picked up the slack," McCarthy said in a statement, accusing Nancy Pelosi of delaying negotiations.
- He pointed to bipartisan investigations by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the Senate Rules Committee, and a security review by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol — as well as the sweeping criminal investigation being carried out by the Justice Department.
- McCarthy added that "the renewed focus by Democrats to now stand up an additional commission ignores the political violence that has struck American cities, a Republican Congressional baseball practice, and, most recently, the deadly attack on Capitol Police on April 2, 2021."
- “Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker’s shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation," he concluded.
The big picture: The legislation to stand up the commission is still likely to pass the House, but it could face major hurdles in reaching the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate.
Go deeper: Details of the proposed Jan. 6 commission
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Apr. 14, 2021 12:42AM EST
Border-district Democrats call for Biden to revamp asylum process
Two border-district Democrats in Congress are pressing the Biden administration to revamp the asylum process, saying the current migrant surge is highlighting significant flaws in the system.
Why it matters: These lawmakers say the administration needs to start making concrete changes by summer. "If it's this bad in 90 days, it's hard to have excuses," Rep. Vicente Gonzalez told Axios.
Driving the news: Axios met with Gonzalez and Rep. Veronica Escobar last week in their Texas districts, which include the border cities of McAllen and El Paso.
- Both said better asylum systems and new pathways for Central American migrants can reduce future surges while ensuring humanitarian protections.
- Migrants must reach the U.S. to claim asylum. They must then prove they have faced — or have "a well-founded fear" — of persecution back home.
- The claims typically are heard by immigration judges, but the Trump administration made it more difficult to seek asylum in the U.S.
Details: Escobar supports a plan — originally floated by the Migration Policy Institute's Doris Meissner — for immigration officers to adjudicate asylum claims at the border, rather than through backlogged immigration courts.
- The result would be faster asylum grants.
- The Biden administration is considering such a plan, a person familiar with a draft plan for regulations told Axios, and NPR also has reported.
- Escobar said asylum seekers still would need to be able to appeal negative decisions to the immigration courts — and that she'll push for better access to legal counsel for them.
Gonzalez is promoting setting up "safe zones" in southern Mexico or Guatemala.
- They would be guarded centers where people could stay safely while their claims are processed by U.S. officials.
The big picture: Both lawmakers say their constituents play unique roles in shaping the immigration debate because of how it impacts their everyday lives at the border.
- Escobar said she's asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for more resources — including more COVID-19 vaccine doses for her district, given El Paso's exposure at the border.
- It's a "predominantly economically disadvantaged community that needs every resource it can have," she said.
- Gonzalez said McAllen is still awaiting federal government immigration-related financial reimbursements from 2019.
The bottom line: "Our cities, our municipalities are spread thin," he said.
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