Politics & Government
Dearborn Forum Tonight on Jury Diversity
The event will be held at the Lebanese American Heritage Club.
A community forum in Dearborn Wednesday will focus on the racial and ethnic diversity of juries and 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 and Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, are jointly hosting the forum.
“Inclusion and the Justice System: Why Jury Diversity Matters” will take place Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Lebanese American Heritage Club.
Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The club is located at 4337 Maple Street in Dearborn.
The purpose of the forum is part of an ongoing effort 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.
Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Because racial and ethnic minorities have been historically under-represented as jurors in trials held in federal and state courts 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 and support 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."
