Chittenden County Clerk of the District Court Jury List Request

Jenny Wadhwa filed this request with the Chittenden County Clerk of Chittenden County, VT.
Status
Completed

From: Mercy Loyo

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: Chittenden County Clerk

Thank you for reaching out to the Vermont Judiciary. We received a request seeking the following:

1. 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.

Vermont Judiciary Response: The Vermont Judiciary’s vendor, Jury Systems, creates the master list of jurors by combining and cross-referencing lists from the DMV and voter registration records. The original lists of names are prepared by the respective state agencies every two years per statute (4 V.S.A. s. 954). The lists are created from DMV records of 18+ Vermonters with a driver’s license or non-driver’s ID and voter registration records. The full chapter of laws related to the Jury Commission is available here: legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/fullchapter/04/025.

2. 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.

Vermont Judiciary Response: There are approximately 550,000 people on the current master jury list. We do not have demographic data on this list. Court rules on the Qualifications, List, Selection and Summoning of jurors are available here: casetext.com/rule/vermont-court-rules/vermont-qualifications-list-selection-and-summoning-of-all-jurors.

Regards,
Leda Moloff
General Counsel
Office of the State Court Administrator
Vermont Judiciary
leda.moloff@vtcourts.gov
Cell: (802) 279-2963