Blue Ribbon Juries are a juries selected from prominent, well-educated citizens, sometimes to investigate a particular problem such as civic corruption. Use of blue ribbon juries in criminal cases violates the right to have a jury of one's peers. The blue-ribbon jury is intended to overcome the problems of ordinary juries in interpreting complex technical or commercial questions. In the United States blue-ribbon juries were provided for by statutes, the terms varying by jurisdiction.
Deferral of Jury Service—Under rule 2.1004 of the California Rules of Court a mother who is breastfeeding a child may request that jury service be deferred for up to one year and may renew that request as long as she is breastfeeding.
Jury data survey—Jury managers in each court complete a comprehensive survey about critical components of jury administration and judicial practices, including the implementation of legislative and rule of court requirements initiated by the BlueRibbon Commission on Jury System Improvement and the Task Force on Jury System Improvements.
Statements to the Jury Panel—Prior to the examination of prospective jurors, the trial judge may, in his or her discretion, permit brief opening statements by counsel to the panel (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.1034).
Jury instructions, the vehicle by which the jury is informed of the law, traditionally are given only after the evidence is presented, and are frequently phrased in language intended to satisfy appellate courts that might review the verdict, rather than the needs of jurors.
Today, the trial judge provides the jury with lengthy instructions, the purpose of which is to inform the jury what the issues are, the principles of the applicable law, and the facts which must be proved to justify their verdict.
Another way to improve the jury's ability to understand and apply the law might be to instruct the jury about the relevant legal principles at the beginning of the trial.
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