New Yorkers Feel They Aren't Judged by Peers on Juries
New York, NY —
A government watch dog group says Blacks, Asians and Hispanics are severely underrepresented in Manhattan jury pools.
REPORTER: Citizens Action found three out of four people who show up for jury duty are white, even though they represent about half of the borough's population. Hector Soto is a senior fellow from the National Institute for Latino Policy. He calls the findings important.
SOTO: It goes to the credibility of the court system. Especially in a community of color like the Latino community. Where there is an ongoing issue of law enforcement in the judicial system and corrections.
REPORTER: But the Manhattan District Attorney's office says the study is flawed, because it was based on an evaluation of skin color, and not on racial self-identification.
REPORTER: New York County Clerk Norman Goodman objects to the methodology of the report. He says jury selection is racially blind and relies on lists from the Board of Elections, the DMV, state income tax payers, welfare and unemployment lists.
GOODMAN: Demographers have told us that by using those five lists that we will reach something in excess of 90 percent of the population in Manhattan, in New York County.
