Champaign County Board Approves Committee to Study Jury Selection

There was an important victory Thursday night, February 19, 2008, for those fighting for reform of the criminal justice system in Champaign County. By a unanimous vote, the Champaign County Board appointed the Citizens Advisory Committee on Jury Selection.

This committee is made up of citizens, board members, and local criminal justice officials. It is intended to address the racial disparities documented to exist in Champaign County. For several years the Courtwatch study conducted by the League of Women Voters has shown that while African Americans make up 60% of defendants, they represent 5%-6% of the jury pool.

The 16 members of the committee include: Pius Weibel, Matt Gladney, Presiding Judge Thomas Difanis, State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, head Public Defender Randall Rosenbaum, Courts Administrator Roger Holland, Joan Miller of the League of Women Voters, Aaron Ammons, Patricia Avery, William Brown, Lorraine Cowart, Brian Dolinar, Deloris Henry, Barbara Kessel, Jenny Putman, and Patrick Thompson.

While speaking in support of the Advisory Committee, County Board member Steve Beckett also defended his proposal to cut two committees―the Transportation Committee and the Justice and Social Services Committee, the very committee that oversees the jury Citizens Advisory Committee on Jury Selection. This was a cost cutting measure that had to be made in tough economic times, he claimed.

Belden Fields expressed his shock over the proposed cuts. He pointed out that the chairs of both the committees, Matt Gladney and Lorraine Cowart, are minorities and this would send the wrong message to African Americans.

I spoke and reminded the County Board of the recent deaths in the county jail. Without another check on the criminal justice system, there is the prospect of a law suit that could drain the county of money for legal defense or a costly settlement. There is currently a law suit pending for the death of Janet Hahn in 2007, claiming that she received poor medical treatment at the Champaign County jail for her diabetes and died as a result.

While commenting that members of the public were “inadvertently misrepresenting” his proposal, Steve Beckett said nothing to assure the public that the Jury Committee would survive the proposed cuts. Beckett collaborated with League of Women Voters to provide students to help conduct the Courtwatch study. Now that his own study has proven that gross inequalities exist in the jury selection process, he has been forced to address the issue.

The Citizens Committee now has the challenge of finding a solution.

On Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m., the Champaign County Board Policy Committee may hear more from Beckett about his proposal to kill the Justice Committee.

BD