The National Center for State Courts in its webinar showed the film "Judging Juries" (2023) which addressed the widespread absence of racially-diverse juries in criminal cases as a result of (1) prosecutors using preemptory challenges to strike jurors of color based allegedly on non-race-based reasons, such as a bad experience with a police officer or family members incarcerated; (2) low juror pay creating severe financial hardship for most persons of color serving on a jury, therefore many do not appear in response to the jury summons or ask to be excused. It also touched on the fact that more than half of the states exclude felons from jury duty unless off probation or on parole.
Discussion by a panel of court experts concerned surveys of how low juror pay affects diversity; jurisdictions which have begun paying jurors of low income as much as $100 a day for jury service; Arizona created a fund to further compensate jurors who serve on lengthy trials. Some of the programs are funded by private foundations, while others are legislatively-funded but have a trial period after which reauthorization must be sought.
I imagine the NCSC will have the panel discussion available for view on its website, however the film is copyrighted and won't be viewable.
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