JUDICIAL COUNCIL RELEASES STATEMENT ON JURY SELECTION LEGISLATION

Salt Lake City, Utah — The Judicial Council is releasing the following statement regarding S.R.J. 10 Joint Resolution Amending Court Rules Regarding Jury Selection.

Jury service is a vital civic responsibility, and the integrity of that service depends on careful, thorough, and robust jury selection processes.  How jury selection is conducted directly affects the confidence that parties place in jury verdicts — making it essential that the processes be approached with deliberation and care.

During the 2026 legislative session, the method of jury selection — whether conducted in person or virtually — has been the subject of debate (see S.J.R. 10). Those discussions have made clear that any jury selection system must strike a balance among multiple interests: ensuring selection of a fair and impartial jury, respecting the interests of litigants in choosing how selection is conducted, minimizing unnecessary burdens on potential jurors, and administering efficient judicial operations.  That balance is especially critical in felony criminal proceedings, where the stakes for victims, the accused, and the public are most pronounced.

To that end, the Judicial Council will coordinate with the presiding judge in each judicial district to ensure that virtual jury selection (where used) is complemented by an equally effective, robust, and accessible in-person jury selection process for certain felony criminal cases.

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