California courts owe defendants a jury of their peers its still too hard to get one

A San Diego jury convicted a Latino man of murder after a four-week trial, raising questions about the representation of defendants by their juries. The jurors included professionals from various backgrounds, while the defendant had a high school education and a history of unemployment. California lawmakers recently ended a program aimed at creating more diverse jury pools by increasing juror compensation to $100 per day. Critics argue that the current $15 daily pay for jurors disproportionately attracts individuals from higher income brackets, thereby skewing jury composition. Public defenders assert that this imbalance pressures innocent clients to accept plea deals rather than risk an unfair trial.

The pilot program, which had shown promising results in increasing diversity, was cut from the state budget, reflecting a retreat from efforts to ensure equitable representation. This decision comes at a time when the need for diverse juries is increasingly recognized as essential for fairness in the justice system. The ongoing struggle for a jury of peers underscores significant flaws in California's legal framework.