Abstract
The right to a trial by jury is a foundational cornerstone of American democracy. This right has long been obfuscated by institutional inequality, preventing defendants from receiving a genuinely representative jury of their peers. California legislators proposed Assembly Bills 1452, 1981, and 881 to temporarily increase juror stipends for low-income jurors in select superior courts, hoping to address socioeconomic barriers to jury service. While AB 1452 and AB 1981 were enacted, the Governor vetoed AB 881.
This Note argues that this legislation strengthens the Sixth Amendment by empowering defendants to receive an impartial, representative jury from their community. However, these bills are temporary and have only been implemented in select California counties, leaving defendants in the rest of the state without a guarantee to this fundamental right. As such, this Note asserts that these bills are mere stepping stones on the path to an impartial jury, and that infringement of the Sixth Amendment must be addressed by permanently implementing increased stipends for low-income jurors throughout the entire state.
Recommended Citation
Grace Voissem,
Guaranteeing a Jury of One's Peers Beyond a Reasonable Doubt,
59 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 283
().
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/llr/vol59/iss1/6
