Grand Juries & Jurors: By the Numbers
Grand juries have figured prominently in the news recently. The Administrative Office, which collects data on grand juries, reports that the number of grand jury sessions rose in 1998. From 1992 through 1997, the number of grand jury sessions convened in federal courts had been declining, from a high this decade of 11,571 in 1992 to 9,748 in the 12-month period ending June 1997. The June 1998 total of 10,148 sessions convened, however, may signal a reversal of the downward trend.
Grand jury activity had been declining even as, in recent years, the number of indictments per session has increased. From 1993 to 1996, the number of indictments per session fluctuated between a low of 3.72 and a high of 4.41. By June 1997, indictments per session had risen to 4.75 and in June 1998, indictments had grown to 5.23 per session. This increase may be due to a comparable growth in the number of criminal defendants in the district courts. Like the number of indictments per session, the number of defendants remained relatively stable from 1993 to 1996. Since 1996, there has been an upward swing that reached 76,047 in June 1998.
Despite the greater number of indictments per session, the hours a grand jury spends in a single session remain nearly constant. In 1992 it was 5.37 hours, and in 1998 it was 5.33 hours. The reasons for this are unclear. Improvements in case management may have made grand jury sessions more efficient, or grand juries may be disposing of a greater number of less complex cases. Generally, the recommended standard for a single session is approximately six hours of scheduled business, and it may take more than one grand jury session to produce a vote on an indictment.
Grand juries consist of not less than 16 members, the minimum number necessary to conduct business, and not more than 23 members. Alternates also are selected in most districts. This number varies from court to court but may number between four and eight. Some courts select significantly more alternates. In the 12-month period ending June 1998, there were 201,770 grand jurors in session, with nearly all grand jurors attending more than one session. This averages out to 19.88 jurors per session. Grand jury and petit jury members are selected in the same manner, usually from voter registration rolls and sometimes supplemented from motor vehicle registration rolls. Unlike petit jurors, grand jury members may ask questions during the session. They also will hear witness testimony and examine documents or other evidence to determine whether an indictment is justified. Grand jury members are paid an attendance fee of $40 per day, but after 45 days they may receive up to an additional $10 per day.
1999-2000 Judicial Fellows Program Invites Applications
The Judicial Fellows Commission invites applications for the 1999-2000 Judicial Fellows Program. The program, established in 1973 and patterned after the White House and Congressional Fellowships, seeks outstanding individuals from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds who are interested in the administration of justice and who show promise of making a contribution to the Judiciary. Up to four Fellows will be chosen to spend a calendar year, beginning in late August or early September 1999, in Washington, D.C., at the Supreme Court, the Federal Judicial Center, the Administrative Office, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Candidates must be familiar with the federal judicial system and have at least one postgraduate degree and two or more years of successful professional experience. Fellowship stipends are based on salaries for comparable government work and on individual salary histories, but will not exceed the GS 15, step 3 level, presently $80,789. Information about the Judicial Fellows Program and application procedure is available upon request from Vanessa M. Yarnall, Administrative Director, Judicial Fellows Program, Supreme Court of the United States, Room 5, Washington, D.C. 20543, or by calling 202/479-3415. The application deadline is November 6, 1998.
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