Perry County, AL Jury List Request

André Natta filed this request on behalf of Elijah Salisbury with the Administrative Office of Courts of Alabama.
Tracking #

17712-6891
Submitted Dec. 3, 2024
Status
Rejected

From: Elijah Salisbury

Subject: Alabama Open Records Law Request: Perry County, AL Jury List Request

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To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act I hereby request the following records:
The following materials regarding the compilation and composition of the state’s master jury list:

All current policies and procedures regarding how the current master jury list was compiled and how often master jury lists are reviewed and updated. Please name all source lists (driver’s license records, voter registration lists, etc) that were utilized in creating the current master jury list.

All reports, databases, spreadsheets, or equivalent materials regarding the composition of the current master jury list. Please include the total number of individuals on the current master jury list and all relevant demographic data, including but not limited to the race, age and gender of individuals that comprise the current master jury list.

In the event that there are any fees for obtaining or copying these records, please inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. Should the fees exceed $100, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees as I am requesting the information on behalf of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of how master jury lists are created. This information is not being sought for commercial purposes.
If possible, please provide the requested documents electronically. However, if this is not feasible, please inform me of the available methods for obtaining these records. Further, if you expect a significant delay in responding to this request, please contact me with information concerning when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.
If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption that justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within the timeframe required by the statute.

From: Administrative Office of Courts

Subject: RE: Alabama Open Records Law Request: Perry County, AL Jury List Request

Email

Good morning, 17712-6891 etc.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a Federal Law and is not applicable to State Courts. The Alabama Open Records Act is applicable only to living Alabama citizens. However, here's a link our laws and rules that should help answer your inquiries.

https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/ja40.pdf

Section 12-16-145
Alternate Juror Selection and Qualification Plan; Master List; Random Selection; Disqualification.

Notwithstanding any provision of Title 12, Chapter 16, the presiding circuit judge, with the consent of the circuit judges of the court, may elect to utilize the following alternate juror selection and qualification plan after notice to the Administrative Director of Courts, which eliminates the master jury box and the interposition of the jury commission in the qualifying process, and embraces and combines the qualification and summoning process, as follows:

The jury commission shall meet and cause to be compiled and maintained a master list of persons in the county, together with their residence addresses, who may be called for jury service. The list shall be compiled and maintained, avoiding duplication as far as possible, from one or more of the sources named in Section 12-16-57 to include persons whose listings will foster the policy and protect the rights provided in Sections 12-16-55 and 12-16-56. This list shall be compiled prior to the implementation of the alternate plan and shall be revised by December 31 of each even-numbered year thereafter.

When jurors, grand or petit, are needed for any future term or terms of court, at least 20 days prior to the first day on which the prospective jurors are to serve, the presiding circuit judge or a circuit judge designated by him shall cause to be randomly drawn from the master list the names of prospective jurors in a number he deems sufficient to obtain the juries needed for the term or terms for which the names are drawn; provided, however, if prior to the first day of service, it appears that an insufficient number of the prospective jurors summoned will be available to constitute the juries for the period for which their names were drawn, the court shall cause the names of additional prospective jurors to be drawn randomly and cause them to be summoned for service forthwith. The prospective jurors whose names are drawn, along with any other person whose jury service has been postponed to such time, shall be summoned by first-class mail notwithstanding any other provision of law; the cost of summoning the prospective jurors under this alternate plan shall be an expense of the court.

Prior to the date on which a prospective juror has been summoned to appear, the presiding circuit judge, or a court official designated by him, shall have the authority to disqualify the prospective juror or to excuse or postpone his service to any future date, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law.