Warriors Coach Steve Kerr and Power Forward Kevon Looney are featured in short PSA videos discussing the “Be The Jury” pilot program, which will compensate eligible jurors in San Franciscans $100 a day
Posted March 17, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO — Last week, the City and County of San Francisco launched the “Be The Jury” Pilot Program in San Francisco Superior Court, which will compensate low-to moderate-income jurors in criminal trials $100 a day for their jury service. This pilot was created with the goal of establishing juries that are more reflective of San Francisco’s diverse communities and is a first-of-its-kind pilot program in San Francisco Superior Court.
Today, to help build community awareness about the program, the Golden State Warriors have just released two social media PSAs that speak to the importance of jury service and jury diversity. The PSAs from Coach Steve Kerr and Kevon Looney are posted on Twitter and Instagram @DubsCommunity.
“I am thrilled that the Warriors are engaging in community education about this first-of-its kind pilot program. It makes a big difference to have such highly regarded leaders like Coach Kerr and Kevon Looney speak about the importance of justice and equity in the courtroom. Our hope is that this program will enable more San Franciscans to participate in jury duty—one of our most powerful civic opportunities," said San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju.
“Thank you to the Warriors for making this issue a priority. No one should be priced out of jury service. Our juries should reflect San Francisco’s economic and racial diversity, but low juror compensation prevents too many people from participating in jury service. The launch of the Be The Jury pilot program brings us closer to a more accessible, diverse, and just legal system,” said San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros.
“I am grateful to the Warriors for speaking up on this critical issue. Justice demands that our juries reflect the diverse backgrounds of the victims, witnesses, and accused persons whose lives are impacted by their decisions,” said District Attorney Chesa Boudin. “We must continue to find ways to promote and enable jury service for all San Franciscans, so that our juries reflect our diverse communities and are able to administer justice for all San Franciscans.”
The “Be The Jury” pilot program will compensate jurors with low-to-moderate incomes with $100 per day for jury service starting today in criminal trials. Jurors are eligible if their household income is less than 80% of the Area Median Income ($74,600 for a single person; $106,550 for a household of four) and if they meet one of the following criteria: (1) their employer does not compensate for jury service; (2) their employer does not compensate for the estimated duration of jury service; (3) they are self-employed; or (4) they are unemployed.
This program was authorized by Assembly Bill 1452, which was co-authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting and Senator Scott Wiener; and co-sponsored by San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju, Treasurer José Cisneros and District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Governor Newsom signed AB 1452 into law in October 2021.
Prospective jurors will receive information about the “Be The Jury” Pilot Program along with their jury summons and can call 3-1-1 or visit the Court’s website at bit.ly/BeTheJuryto learn about the program. Judges will also brief prospective jurors about the “Be The Jury” pilot program when they arrive for jury service, and show this video about eligibility.
The “Be The Jury” pilot program is funded by philanthropic dollars raised by the San Francisco Treasurer’s Financial Justice Project. Stakeholders will conduct an evaluation of the pilot program once it is completed.
To view this press release online, please visit SFPublicDefender.org/media or sftreasurer.org/newsreleases.