Jim's DEEP Thoughts: Deaf Juror dismissed In Ohio (Update)

Monday, January 5, 2009

Hearing-impaired woman should not have been on jury, court says Does this mean that deaf jurors are disqualified from sitting on juries?

CoolPJR said...: It does not mean to apply every Deaf juror from sitting on the future jury system. Every case is different based on what the trial is determined for a civil or criminal caase. I hope Deaf residents in Ohio still receive a jury notice from the Jury Dept randomly and I encourage them to make a request for interpreter services. If the Court decides to remove all Deaf residents from their databse, then they are violated ADA for their rights.; Mon Jan 05, 03:40:00 PM EST
Rob said...: Jim, the issue was that the juror did not know sign language enough to warrant a sign language interpreter to be in court as the article pointed out:

In its decision, the appeals court said the hearing-impaired juror apparently didn't read sign language, so an interpreter wasn't brought into the courtroom. Other courts have dismissed hearing-impaired jurors if special arrangements, such as a sign-language interpreter, could not be made.

If I would be in a jury, I would request a sign language interpreter for the duration of my duty on the jury and in the courtroom.; Mon Jan 05, 06:55:00 PM EST