Jurors must reveal race and ethnicity

Times Herald Record Middletown, NY ^ | 9/12/10 | Heather Yakin

[Impala64ssa]

GOSHEN — Starting Monday, everyone who shows up for jury duty in New York will be handed a questionnaire that asks for their race and ethnic background.

The intent — to make sure jury pools are a fair cross-section of their communities — is pure, but the execution comes across as a little "don't ask, don't tell." The requirement was created by Judiciary Law Section 528, newly minted on June 25 by Gov. David Paterson's signature.

In guidance sent out by the state Office of Court Administration, jury commissioners are instructed to hand out the information cards to jurors. They can say that the state requires them to collect the data, and the law is printed on the back of the card. They can advise jurors to use black or blue ink.

They are told not to say anything else about that card or why it's being distributed and not to offer any opinions on why the data is being collected or how to answer the questions (other than truthfully). They're told not to offer the jurors a chance to ask questions — and if they ask anyway, have them come to the front of the room to ask in private.

[RebelTXRose]

here in WNY, there is a jury information survey that they mail to you. I called and asked if this was a summons - they said no. I told them when they sent me a summons, I would answer questions when I appear. I was told I’d be “in violation.” I believe each question was answered when I surrendered my TX drivers license for NY DL. I’ve received the “VIOLATION” remailing of the survey. I’m moving back to TX in two weeks... oh well...

[LiteKeeper]

Since there is only one race - the human race - I usually inquire about a person’s ethnicity. Interesting answers.

[Tucker39]

Don’t know if I’m misreading this somehow or if Heather Yakin screwed up, but: The dateline states the location as GOSHEN. If she was referring to NYC, the correct nickname for The Big Apple is GOTHAM, not GOSHEN.

Goshen was the wonderful land of milk and honey that pharoah gave to Jacob and his sons when they went to Egypt to escape a famine back home.
Gen 46:5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

Gen 46:6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
Gen 46:7 His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
Gen 47:1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

[ops33]

Exactly. Do they have a legal definition of what a race and ethnicity is?

[ops33]

I have been called for jury duty 4 times. In each case, as soon as the defense attorney found out I was retired military I was excused.

[tacticalogic]

Cool. Having a fair amount of Scot in the mix, I think I’d go with “Not crap”.

[South40]

I have been called for jury duty 4 times. In each case, as soon as the defense attorney found out I was retired military I was excused.

And there's a reason for that. They want liberals.

[BuffaloJack]

> I’m a Native American.
I must be too. My family came here in 1607.
If I can’t be a native after 400 years then when?

[sheana]

When my daughter was in school I used to write in Viking on everything they sent home with the race question on it. lo;

[Ray'sBeth]

I understand exactly what you mean. I always put “other” when it asks for race or ethnicity, and put in AMERICAN for either. If they ask me orally on a survey, I say “American, and not hyphenated.”