Home > Legal Docket > In re: Essex County Prosecutor’s Motion to Compel Juror Information

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is asking for juror date of births in order to conduct background checks.

New Jersey Superior Court; Essex County/Amicus

Alexander Shalom/ACLU-NJ

On December 29, 2011 the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey filed an amicus brief in opposition to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office request to obtain jurors’ date of births for the purpose of conducting criminal background checks on potential jurors. The brief argues that the request is not authorized by law, invades the privacy of potential jurors without providing any meaningful benefit to the outcome of the trial and unfairly favors the prosecution over the defendants in criminal trials. On February 27, 2012, the court, noting the strength of the ACLU’s arguments, denied the state’s application for the information. The state did not appeal the ruling.

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