KQED's Forum Most People Dread Jury Duty, But Some Never Get the Chance to Serve
Dec 1, 2025
Abby Ginzberg, a documentary filmmaker and former trial lawyer, joins public defenders Brendon Woods and Manohar Raju, along with Anne Stuhldreher from San Francisco's Treasurer's Office. They discuss how financial barriers and discrimination limit jury diversity, impacting justice outcomes. The new 'Be the Jury' program offers stipends to low-income jurors, aiming to increase participation. The guests highlight how representation can shift trial dynamics and the vital role juries play in community decision-making.
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Juries No Longer Reflect Communities
- Juries are meant to be a cross-section of the community but have grown less representative over time.
- Lack of racial and economic diversity undermines legitimacy and fairness in trials.
Walking Into Unrepresentative Courtrooms
- Brendon Woods recounts walking into Oakland courtrooms where very few Black people sat on juries for Black defendants.
- That lack of representation prompted his work to change jury selection practices.
One Juror Can Shift Conviction Rates
- Studies show one Black juror can equalize conviction rates between Black and white defendants.
- Presence of even a single juror of the defendant's race changes deliberation dynamics and outcomes.
