Jury Selection Under Review in Whiteside County
A judge in Whiteside County has dismissed a third jury panel, raising serious questions about the county’s jury selection process. After years of excluding potential jurors by age, debt status, and criminal history, recent efforts to modernize the process backfired.
The new approach drew numbers with the help of ChatGPT, but flaws in outdated software led to a jury pool including 61 deceased individuals and others over 100 years old, with no one under 42. Defense attorney Jim Mertes claims the problems span decades and likely aren’t unique to Whiteside. Another hearing is set for May 21st.