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CRIME & COURTS

Greenville County ‘Juror Shortage’ Under The Microscope

“When jurors fail to appear, trials are delayed, resources are squandered, and justice is put on hold…”

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Court officials in Greenville County, South Carolina bemoaned a pervasive lack of civic participation after only a third of summoned jurors bothered to show up for jury duty on Monday (January 13, 2025). This en masse dereliction of civic duty resulted in the delay of the high-profile ‘Rose Petal Murder‘ trial – and several other scheduled proceedings at the Greenville County courthouse.

According to a news release from the office of Greenville County clerk of court Jay Gresham, only 59 of 161 summoned jurors (36.6%) showed up at the county courthouse in downtown Greenville on Monday morning – continuing an ongoing “juror shortage” which the clerk contends is causing a ‘disruption’ in the administration of justice.

 “This is a serious issue that affects everyone in our community,” Gresham said in the statement (.pdf). “When jurors fail to appear, trials are delayed, resources are squandered, and justice is put on hold. As the saying goes, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’” 

Gresham’s office specifically referenced the postponement of “a high-profile trial,” but his office made sure to raise the “impact of the juror shortage” on the broader administration of justice in the Upstate’s most populous county – citing “disruptions, wasted taxpayer resources, and additional strain on a judicial circuit still working to address the case backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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Per the statement issued by the clerk’s office, the number of jurors summoned by the clerk’s office “is determined by state law and may be adjusted by court order.”

“The clerk’s office fully complied with all legal requirements and did not receive a court order requesting additional summonses,” Gresham noted.

According to the statement, Gresham’s office has initiated “immediate action” in an effort to rectify the atrocious juror turnout, including communications with the chief administrative judge for general sessions court, S.C. thirteenth circuit solicitor Walt Wilkins and Greenville County sheriff Hobart Lewis

This working group is reportedly collaborating “to address the issues caused by the low juror turnout and to develop strategies for improvement moving forward.”

 “This situation underscores the importance of jury service as a cornerstone of our justice system,” Gresham noted. “Every juror plays a critical role in ensuring fair trials and upholding the principles of justice that are fundamental to our legal system. Jury service is not just a legal obligation—it is a civic duty and a right we share as Americans, one that many people around the world can only dream of.” 

Originally scheduled for October 2024, the Rose Petal Murder trial of accused killer Zachary Hughes was pushed to this month following a pre-trial discovery battle. It has now been pushed out to late February or early March at the earliest.

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THE STATEMENT…

(Greenville County Clerk of Court)

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4 comments

Think About It January 13, 2025 at 6:17 pm

Jury service disrupts peoples’ lives. They miss work, school, picking up kids/grandkids from school/daycare or taking them to school or other appointments. For some of us, being herded through the metal detectors is a de-humanizing act which we would prefer to avoid. Some people have no or few “nice” clothes to wear to these court appearances and it is sad, in the 21st Century, how many judges there still are who think it is their place to be arbiters of fashion and grooming standards for people who wind up in their courtrooms.

Some time after the worst of the Covid plandemic was over, I received a jury summons. I might have been inclined to go but I was not wearing a suffocating dog muzzle for anyone. My courthouse was still going to extremes, playing along with the bogus game that masks protected anyone.

I called the clerk of court for my county. I informed them that I was a retired LEO and, having spent a significant chunk of my life in courtrooms, was sick to death of them and did not wish any additional time in one. I further stated that because of my prior occupation, I did not feel that I could render a fair and impartial verdict. The clerk informed me that the case I was drawn for was a civil case and as such, my prior occupation would not matter. I told her that I had breathing issues and could not wear a mask as required in the brochure they sent me. She said I would need to get a doctor’s excuse for that. Like W T F? At that time, I had no health insurance. I could not afford to get an excuse to satisfy their petty authority and attempt to force involuntary servitude on me. I asked if lawyers, the judge, and witnesses were required to wear masks in court. She said they were. I countered that I have a serious hearing impairment. As such, I do a combination of lip reading and listening. Masks muffle voices and make them much harder for me to understand. Additionally, I cannot read lips of someone facing me if they are masked. This is true! I told her that if she really wanted someone like me on her jury, then I will come in as ordered. She put me on hold and came back a minute later, telling me to disregard the summons.

If judges need jurors badly enough, they should start paying them a minimum of $100 per day to offset the expense and inconvenience of having to appear in court. This would help with babysitters, gas, other transport such as cabs or Uber, meals, etc. This is not an unreasonable amount. Additionally, instead of the SCAG’s office compiling computer files of jurors to be selected (often the same people over and over and over, again), how about compile lists of people who will gladly volunteer for jury duty? If you pay them $100 or more per day, lots of bored housewives, senior citizens, unemployed persons, and others would probably sign up. Make the $100 per-diem not subject to tax or count against unemployment checks in any way. This might help aleviate the juror shortage and improve attitudes about serving, for some, at least.

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J Doe January 13, 2025 at 8:05 pm

It’s your civic duty. It’s the only thing, other than compulsory military service, that you are required to do in service of your country and community. It is a sacrifice, to be sure, but it is one all citizens have the burden of sharing. Otherwise, the justice system, one of the bedrocks of our democracy, is broken.

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AC Top fan January 14, 2025 at 6:44 am

Think about it, if you are in fact a retired LEO you are a despicable individual. J Doe is absolutely correct, as an American citizen it’s a duty. The answer is to start enforcing the punishment set by law for not answering the jury summons. The motor voter laws destroyed the jury process. These problems weren’t as prevalent when jury pools were drawn only from registered voters instead of everyone with a drivers license. People who take the time to register to vote are more conscientious and civic minded. Just one of the consequences of these terrible laws

Reply
Think About It January 14, 2025 at 1:34 pm

Like I said, after decades of appearing in court, I had a jolly GD gut full of court rooms. Had it not been for the masking silliness, I might have indulged them but that was a deal killer.

I do agree entirely with you about the motor voter being a terrible idea.
They should go back to voter rolls or, as I suggested, add a volunteer roster for people like yourself who would likely be happy to volunteer for jury duty.

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