Jury Deliberation: Room to Think

Achieving fair and impartial results in the American judicial system is heavily dependent – perhaps principally dependent – on the collective wisdom of the jury. The environment provided by the jury deliberation room is an essential factor in supporting (or not supporting) the jury’s ability to function properly in the courtroom planning process. This article considers the ideal jury deliberation room environment and examines several examples that are less than ideal.

A journey of multiple steps to the Jury Deliberation Room

I have emphasized the important role played by the jury in several of my past articles relating to courthouse jury facilities. From jury assembly rooms to courtroom jury boxes, I have described how the citizens who serve on a jury can be most effectively supported in performing this highly critical function.

We might think of jury duty as being comprised of three sequential steps:

1. Orientation in the form of an introduction to the judicial system and to the jury participation activities that will follow. I discussed this first step in my Avoid Runaway Jurors article about jury assembly rooms.
2. Participation as a juror in a civil or criminal trial. This second step was considered in my Think Inside the Box article about the courtroom jury box.
3. Deliberation as the culmination of the jury participation process. This third and final step will be the subject of this article about jury deliberation rooms.

A dichotomy of functions

The jury deliberation room is where the “rubber meets the road.” Jury deliberation is the third and final step in the juror’s journey and is as important as the assembly room and courtroom environments.

Interestingly, the jury deliberation room is a dichotomy of functions. On the one hand, it is a place that must support and encourage the intense consideration of the facts in a case. A “think tank.” But on the other hand, it is a place that must accommodate a jury being sequestered for days or weeks until a verdict is reached. It must be a “safe room” that is sealed off visually, acoustically, and from physical intrusion to maintain the confidentiality of the deliberations.

How are these two functions supported in a single room? Let’s take a look.

The “think tank”

To support the ability of the jury members to concentrate on the facts of the case, a jury deliberation room must provide sufficient conveniences that allow the jury to be comfortable and also avoid distractions. It is important that jury members not be required to leave the deliberation room to use toilets or obtain refreshments. For this reason, jury room standards typically require the following components:

• A deliberation room that can accommodate 12 jurors seated in comfortable chairs at a table and additional seating at the perimeter of the room for up to six alternate jurors.
• Two toilets with one that is accessible for people with disabilities.
• A service counter equipped with a coffee maker, an under-counter refrigerator, and a microwave.
• A coat closet.
• A closet for video equipment used for reviewing exhibits.
• Light level and HVAC controls

The jury deliberation room shown in the following photo impressed me as a particularly complete example of providing conveniences for the jurors.

A well-furnished jury deliberation room in a courthouse with a full range of conveniences.

As a contrast, the following photos of two jury deliberation rooms show unquestionably attractive design solutions. However, they may have missed the mark functionally, according to court personnel.

Traditional jury deliberation room chairs are attractive, but are they comfortable for a long stay?

A stylish contemporary jury deliberation room, but could the view be distracting?

The “safe room”

To maintain the critical confidentiality required of jury deliberations, the room and its support facilities must be isolated visually, acoustically, and from physical intrusion. To this end, jury room standards normally require the following components:

• A soundlock at the entrance to the jury deliberation suite.
• A room at the entrance to the suite to accommodate a jury custodian.
• A direct connection to the courtroom that is being served by the jury deliberation room.
• Acoustical treatment of ceilings, walls, floors, and HVAC ductwork to prevent sound escaping or entering the deliberation room and support facilities.
• Window treatment to assure visual privacy when needed to screen the room from neighboring buildings.

The following photo is an unfortunate example of a potential break in the "safe room” concept.

A not so safe “safe room” with an office building balcony just outside this jury room window.

Putting it all together

The following layout plan used in an Iowa courthouse is a good example of a complete jury deliberation room that fully accommodates both the "think tank” and “safe room” functions. Note the use of a round jury room table to represent the equal status of all jury members.

As may be surmised from the "think tank” and “safe room” standards described in this article, unlike the jury assembly area, the requirements associated with a jury deliberation room are too specific to allow other rooms to be used as an alternative. Essentially, jury deliberation rooms perform a very critical and specific function and must be dedicated to this purpose.