Justices hear suggestions from jurors

Jace Radke

Friday, Nov. 2, 2001 | 10:35 a.m.

Residents who served as jurors on high-profile cases spoke of their positive experiences with the court system during a public hearing of the Nevada Supreme Court's jury improvement commission Thursday night.

The former jurors, involved in cases such as the Ted Binion and Margaret Rudin murder trials, related their experiences before a panel of lawyers, judges, court staff and Supreme Court justices.

The jurors, who generally said their experiences were positive, suggested that counseling and booklets that included photographs of evidence and witnesses would prove helpful.

"I am heartened by the comments because while there are improvements that can be made, everyone has also had good things to say," said Justice Deborah Agosti, who serves as a co-chairwoman of the commission with Justice Bob Rose. "It's gratifying because we do have a strong justice system."

The commission's main focus involves treatment of jurors and the methods in which evidence is presented to them during trials.

Larry Avila, a juror during the trial of Jessica Williams, who was found guilty in the highway deaths of six teenagers, said he has found it hard to forget the case.

"It's always there in the back of your mind," Avila said during the hearing at the Clark County Courthouse. "I was talking to a trauma counselor, and she said that she is still helping Nevada Highway Patrol troopers and paramedics. It might be nice if there was something like that for jurors."

Tara Lisle, another juror in the Williams trial, said that in complicated trials a small book with pictures of exhibits and witnesses would help jurors better perform their jobs.

"It would let you put a face to your notes," Lisle said. "If a trial drags on and there are a lot of witnesses, it can be tough to remember. Just seeing a picture could help you remember the attitude and facial expressions, and help you in determining if that person was telling the truth."

The panel questioned the jurors regarding the issue of television cameras in courtrooms, and whether they thought jurors should be able to question witnesses.

After the panel heard from the Williams jurors, Rose and Agosti excused themselves. Supreme Court appeals have been filed in both the Rudin and Binion trials, and they didn't want to jeopardize those proceedings because of anything the jurors may say.

The jurors from the Binion and Rudin spoke mostly about procedural matters.

The 15-member commission will play host to other meetings with lawyers, residents and employers, and expects to complete a report on the process in about nine months.