Inclusion and the justice system: Why jury diversity matters

DETROIT - In a continued effort to raise awareness on the importance of jury service, Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade, Chief Federal Defender Miriam L. Siefer, State Representative Rashida Tlaib and Detroit City Council Member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez announced today a community forum that will focus on the racial and ethnic diversity of juries and the importance of jury service.

The public forum, titled "Inclusion and the Justice System: Why Jury Diversity Matters" will take place Wednesday, November 12, 2014, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Community Health and Social Services (“CHASS”), 5635 W. Fort Street, Detroit, Michigan.

The purpose of the forum is to educate citizens about the challenges and strategies in the Eastern District of Michigan to seat juries that represent the broad spectrum of citizens of the district and the importance of jury service. Because racial and ethnic minorities have been historically under-represented as jurors in trials held in federal court in southeast Michigan, Chief Judge Rosen formed a committee, led by Judge Denise Page Hood and Judge Victoria A. Roberts, to explore new ways to increase minority participation. The committee's work has been memorialized in a report, which includes recommendations to achieve a more diverse pool of jurors.

"We appreciate the work the court has done on this issue," McQuade said. "Diverse representation on juries is important to public confidence in the criminal justice system."

The forum panel will be moderated by Council Member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, and will feature Chief Judge Rosen and Judge Denise Page Hood, as well as U.S. Attorney McQuade, and Deputy Federal Defender Rafael Villarruel. The session will include a period for questions and answers from the public.

For a copy of the committee's report, please visit www.mied.uscourts.gov/.