SUPREME
JUDICIAL COURT APPOINTS NEW JURY COMMISSIONER
Boston — The Justices
of the Supreme Judicial Court today announced the appointment
of Attorney Pamela J. Wood of Weston as the new Jury Commissioner
for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The five-year term
becomes effective on November 3, 2003.
The
Jury Commissioner, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 234A, is responsible
for the administration of the jury system for the Commonwealth
and serves as the executive head of the Office of Jury Commissioner.
With supervision and guidance of the Jury Management Advisory
Committee, a Standing Committee of six judges appointed by
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Jury
Commissioner establishes and implements policies and procedures
for the selection and management of grand and trial jurors
in 58 trial courts and 14 grand jury sites in Massachusetts.
Supreme
Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, “Jury
service, one of our society’s most important civic
responsibilities, gives the public the greatest opportunity
to participate in our justice system. I am confident that
under the strong leadership of our new Jury Commissioner,
Pamela Wood, the excellent work of the Office of Jury Commissioner
in administering the jury system and educating the public
will continue to safeguard our constitutional right to trial
by jury.”
Ms.
Wood, who has extensive management and legal experience,
has been General Counsel and Deputy Director of the Board
of Registration in Medicine since 1999. Prior to that, she
was a Senior Attorney at the Federal Trade Commission for
eleven years. Ms.Wood was a litigation associate at Choate,
Hall & Stewart for three years and an associate at Bingham,
Dana & Gould (now Bingham McCutchen), where she began
her legal career. She received a J.D. from the University
of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A from Wellesley College.
As an active member of the Boston Bar Association, Ms. Wood
was a founding member and chair of the Young Lawyers group
and served on the Corporate Counsel and Membership committees.
She also is involved in civic and charitable activities in
Boston and Weston.
The
Office of Jury Commissioner summonses approximately 1.2 million
citizens each year to serve as prospective jurors in courts
throughout the Commonwealth. The Office handles about 1500
questions each day from the public via a toll-free Juror
Information hotline (1-800-THE JURY), which serves both English
and Spanish-speaking individuals.
In
1988, Massachusetts became the first state in the country
to implement a statewide “one day-one trial” jury
system, in which jurors, who are randomly selected by annual
census lists provided by cities and towns, serve for one
day or the duration of one trial.
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