Schuylkill County residents may see jury commissioner candidates on their ballots in the General Election on Nov. 5.
Like many other counties in the state, the Schuylkill County commissioners voted to eliminate the office of jury commissioner following their current terms of service. The board unanimously approved the decision during a work session on May 2, 2012. The terms of the current jury commissioners would have expired at the end of 2013.
Pennsylvania counties were granted the authority to do so by Act 108 of 2011, which was signed into law Dec. 15, 2012, by Gov. Tom Corbett.
Then, on March 14, the state Supreme Court overruled the legislation, stating it was improperly added to a bill originally designed only to allow county commissioners to hold private property and farm surplus auctions online. The court cited a "single subject" provision in the state constitution preventing unrelated issues from being adopted through the same bill.
During the Schuylkill County commissioners work session last May, County Administrator Mark Scarbinsky said cutting the position would save the county about $26,000 a year, not including benefit costs.
"Obviously, I think it is something we could do without," Schuylkill County commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier said Thursday. "We felt this was an opportunity for the county to save money because, over the years, the job responsibilities have been less and less."
Counties have two jury commissioners, each representing different political parties. The office is responsible for overseeing the entire jury selection process.
In Schuylkill County, the commissioners are Republican Peggy Zimmerman, Walker Township, and Democrat Ed Kleha, Shenandoah. Under the legislation, jury commissioners were to serve the position until their four-year term expires Dec. 31.
"It's unfortunate that they want to do this," Kleha said Thursday. "I think it is important. It's for checks and balances."
Kleha and Zimmerman both said Thursday they are going to wait until the future of the position in Schuylkill County is determined before running again.
"There are too many intangibles right now to say that I could sit down and do it," Kleha said. "I can't answer because I don't know, there are too many unanswered questions. We have to wait and see how the cards fall and take it from there."
It is possible a properly formulated law could be passed before the General Election. Otherwise, both Democratic and Republican parties will have to nominate a candidate by Sept. 16 for the General Election. If a new law comes after the election, the elected jury commissioners will have to finish the four-year term.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has supported eliminating the positions, claiming they are no longer needed since jury pools are now selected by computer. The Pennsylvania State Association of Jury Commissioners has opposed the legislation on the grounds that the job also includes answering questions, delivering summonses and reviewing exceptions, among other responsibilities that can not be done by computers.