Jury commissioners seeking injunction
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Both Washington County jury commissioners have joined in a Commonwealth Court case that seeks to preserve their jobs and the elected office around the state.
Among the 18 appellants in the injunction request scheduled to be heard Friday in Harrisburg are G. Richard Zimmerman, Washington County Republican jury commissioner, and Judith Fisher, his Democratic counterpart.
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania State Association of Jury Commissioners mounted a legal challenge to a bill that Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law May 6 giving county commissioners the option of eliminating the elected office of jury commissioner.
Both Washington and Greene County commissioners voted for a second time to abolish the office, which, barring any court intervention, would keep the candidates off the ballot in the November election.
“The final battle will be fought and decided in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. We know this and so do they,” said Larry Thompson, president of the Pennsylvania State Jury Commissioners Association.
Washington County commissioners have said a computer database can select jurors, and that their move to do away with the office will save taxpayers $80,000 per year.
Zimmerman was an appellant in the earlier court challenge, and, this time around, he and Fisher are among 17 jury commissioners from around the state who are contesting the law.
In March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the 2011 law allowing county commissioners to eliminate the office of jury commissioner because it was bundled with unrelated legislation, which the court said obscured the actions of the Legislature.
Under a 145-year-old system, jury commissioner candidates’ names would have appeared on the May 21 primary ballot, with one to be chosen by voters of each party. But because the ruling came so late in the nominating process, it created confusion in counties that had abolished the office.
Commonwealth Court instead decided that political parties should choose a nominee for the November election in counties that haven’t eliminated the office.