Right To Jury Trial Under Attack

This is Walt Mack.

Here in North Carolina, one of our most cherished rights is in jeopardy of being denied citizens of our state.

I’m speaking about the sixth Constitutional Amendment: the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

Why? Because the state is fast running out of money to pay jurors. $3.6 million dollars to be exact. At the current rate of spending,  the court  system will be broke by April 1^st of 2015. Budget cuts are putting a stranglehold on the court system. At the same time, the number of trials is increasing, particularly in the Family Courts.

More than 2,230 jury trials have been held for criminal trials, and over 300 trials for civil cases. To handle that many trials, close to 200,000 jurors will be needed. Jurors are paid $12 the first day, $20 the second through the fifth days, and $40 a day from then on.

Should the state run out of funds, jurors would be asked to serve without pay, and without remuneration for  travel expenses. As an alternative, judges could serve as judge and jury, made possible by voter approval earlier this year of a constitutional amendment.

And as a last resort, the GOP-controlled state assembly could intercede with emergency funding to allow the court system to operate through June. And where would that funding come from? Your guess is as good as mine. But it will probably come off the backs of the poor.