Why don't they use all the unemployed people for jury duty?They come from all walks, don't they?

Question

Why don't they use all the unemployed people for jury duty?They come from all walks, don't they?

Answer 1

i am sure that they get a fair amount, especially in areas where unemployment is high.

i think most lawyers would deem them as undesirable. there is nothing like living on the down side to refresh your outlook on life.

Answer 2

because no matter what, they are still prejudiced in a way that people with jobs might not be. For example if someone is unemployed and they are on the jury of someone who is unemployed and being sued, they might be on his side just for the fact that he is unemployed as well. Having ALL the jury-members share a commonality is always bad regardless of what it is.

Answer 3

Yea, that is what I want.  To be judged by allot of out of work disgruntled poor people.

Answer 4

Because they have no way of knowing, exactly who all the unemployed people are.

Only a very small percentage of unemployed people, register at the unemployment office or are able to collect unemployment insurance checks.

Thats why the Labor Department, does not use the number of people, collecting unemployment,

To calculate the national unemployment rate.

Answer 5

I don't think it would be a good idea.  If you were having a trial, would want to know that your jury was filled with those unemployed people??

Answer 6

I sure wouldnt want just unemployed people to be my Peers!

Answer 7

The question is a good one. But the truth is, jury duty is not just another "job" you could fill from the state unemployment office.

In order to assure that the jury "pool" has a balanced, random cross-section of the population, with all sectors of the general population equally likely to be called, they cannot limit the jurors to unemployed, or retired, or those who want to volunteer, or those who will get paid for service on a jury by their employers while they serve. Or the very wealthy, who can take off work whenever they feel like it.

There have been appellate court case opinions that the courts cannot limit the source of juror names from just registered voters, or landowners, or those with driver's licenses, or car registration,  or those listed in phone books . Or those listed in the unemployment office. They must use MANY different sources, so that their pool may include as many different sorts of people as possible. The chances are also better than average that the unemployed, or those on welfare, might be more likely to come from the poorer classes, or single mothers, or minorities, or students, than the general population. The unemployed might also be more likely to be the lesser educated, with a large percentage of school dropouts than the average population. That would be unconstitutional, too.

In my life, I have served on two juries, and was called several other times but not selected. One was a felony criminal case, involving a very serious offense; another was a large complex civil case. Neither of those cases would have benefitted by having twelve men and women who just happened to be selected because they were unemployed.

Jury duty, like other civic responsibilities, sometimes is difficult, and places a burden on some people. But it is necessary to assure our system of courts is fair, and people can get a jury to hear their side of the story and give both sides a fair break. It isn't perfect, but it is better than some of the alternatives.

Answer 8

some are used, their number can come up also