WFIW spoke Wednesday afternoon with Wayne County Circuit Clerk Georgiana Fletcher, who outlined the mounting challenges facing the county’s jury selection process—problems that directly contributed to the recent court-ordered release of a criminal sexual assault defendant under the Illinois SAFE-T Act.
Fletcher reported that jury participation has fallen to just 25–30%, with her most recent summons pool producing only 15 responses out of 125 mailed notices, and just four eligible jurors after statutory excuses were considered. Historically, Wayne County held three trials per year. That number has skyrocketed.
Since taking office in December, Fletcher has overseen seven jury trials, compared to four trials in the prior eight years under her predecessor. She now averages one trial per month, creating unprecedented strain on jury recruitment. This surge, combined with falling juror participation and mail delays, is jeopardizing several pending cases. Under the SAFE-T Act (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1(i)), when a court orders detention, the State must bring the defendant to trial within 90 days unless the delay is caused by the defense. If the trial cannot begin within that timeframe, the defendant must be released with pretrial conditions. Fletcher said judges can order the Sheriff’s Department to bring in non-responsive jurors, but doing so is costly and often produces unwilling participants. She previously tried using subpoenas delivered by deputies, which significantly increased turnout, but it was unpopular with law enforcement and judges alike.
Other hurdles include:
Postal delays, with some local mail taking 24 days to be delivered.
Population limits, which restrict how many names the county can legally request for the jury pool each year.
Election-year hesitancy, making judges less willing to impose enforcement penalties.
Fletcher noted that some counties have successfully used threats of contempt, $75 fines, and public exposure for those ignoring jury summons—tools Wayne County may soon need to consider. Wayne County State’s Attorney Kyle Ellis stressed that public participation in jury service is vital for the justice system to function.
With several major trials pending, the county may need to adopt stronger enforcement measures to ensure juries can be seated when required.