Federal courts' budget blues; Congress asked for more money to pay jurors, court-appointed lawyers

Article Abstract:

The federal judiciary will run out of money before the end of the fiscal year and has requested supplemental appropriations from Congress, including an extra $7.5 million for payment to civil jurors and $70.8 million for payment of court-appointed counsel. Congress gave the federal judiciary $2.47 billion for the 1992-93 fiscal year, which was $130 million less than was necessary to continue providing the same level of service. Part of the federal court dilemma stems from the movement of weapons and drug cases to federal courts.

Finance

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No more second-class jurors; U.S. Judicial Conference turns alternates into extras in federal civil trials

Article Abstract:

The Judicial Conference of the United States has established a minimum of six jurors and a maximum of 12 in federal civil cases. Courts are encouraged to seat more than six jurors in case of illness or other emergency. Now, however, the extras are not alternates but extra jurors. The issues of whether or not small juries represent a fair cross-section of the community and award consistent verdicts provoke some difference of opinion. Nonetheless, for economic reasons, use of smaller juries will probably continue.

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Downward trends: the verdict of most states and the Judicial Conference is ... smaller juries are more efficient

Article Abstract:

Most states have decided that juries of fewer than 12 members do the job just as well, but federal courts are still struggling with this issue. State courts in 39 states and the District of Columbia have allowed in some way for juries or less than 12 people. In the early 1970s, two US Supreme Court opinions held the Constitution does not mandate 12-person juries. The US Judicial Conference will also study relaxing the requirement for unanimity of jury verdicts in federal civil trials.

United States, Planning, United States. Judicial Conference, states

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