BASF Supports AB 881 Which Expands Be The Jury Pilot Statewide

February 21, 2023, San Francisco—The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is proud to sponsor AB 881, introduced by Asm. Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which would expand the successful San Francisco Be The Jury Pilot Program that improved juror pool diversity, to a statewide program.

Launched in March 2022, the Be The Jury Pilot Program works to improve representation on juries by populations who commonly use financial hardship as their excuse for forgoing jury service.  This was done by offering $100 a day, instead of $15 a day, to qualifying jurors. After six months of this pilot being tested in criminal courts the first results came in and showed greater participation on juries by low-income individuals and people of color, with jury demographics mirroring those of San Francisco.

“This bill would make criminal juries across California fairer and a more accurate reflection of their communities, bringing us all closer to what the Constitution promises — a jury of our peers,” said Assemblymember Ting. “The right to a jury of one’s peers is at the core of our justice system. Individuals from all economic classes are entitled to serve on juries and should receive adequate compensation for doing so.”

“Prior to the San Francisco pilot, juries here were trending whiter and wealthier, which threatens the right to a jury of one’s peers,” said Yolanda Jackson, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Bar Association of San Francisco and its Justice & Diversity Center. “No individual should have to choose between feeding their family and carrying out their civic duty as a juror.”

You can learn more about the Be The Jury pilot from an interview Yolanda did with KQED last December, and you can view the bill's text here.

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