Anyone who’s ever had jury duty has probably experienced an unsettling moment of realization: Everyone in here is going to know my name.
Now, the Colorado Supreme Court will decide when it’s OK for judges to keep jurors’ names quiet.
The court will consider two cases during its term starting this month in which judges in Weld County referred to jurors in open court by a number, rather than by name.
In one case, the judge told jurors that using numbers would be easier for the court reporter and make for a clearer record. In the other case, the judge half-apologized to the jurors, saying it may seem rude not to address them by name, but “that’s how we do it.”
It’s an issue for defendants on appeal because courts have ruled that not using jurors’ names may give the panel the impression that the defendant is particularly dangerous and that jurors need to be protected.
The defendants in the two cases to be heard by the court said using numbers denied them their right to a public trial by a fair and impartial jury.
In both cases, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that not using names was not grounds for reversing their convictions. Sara Burnett, The Denver Post
