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New Mexico courts training stresses duty to accommodate jurors with disabilities under ADA Title II
Summary
At a recorded training for New Mexico court staff, ADA consultant Professor Bruce Adelson reviewed Title II obligations for courts, court decisions about juror access, DOJ guidance on effective communication, common physical barriers in courthouses, and practical Q&A on excusal and accommodations.
Professor Bruce Adelson, ADA consultant to the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts and a former U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, told attendees at a recorded New Mexico Courts training that courts must prioritize effective communication and make individualized accommodations so people with disabilities can serve as jurors.
Adelson opened by summarizing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, saying it covers state and local public entities (including courts) and requires ‘‘effective communications’’ such as qualified sign-language interpreters or other auxiliary aids. He told participants that ‘‘if I have a communication disability . . . then you must give me an American sign language interpreter,’’ describing the Title II ‘‘primary consideration’’ rule as a crucial protection for prospective jurors.
The presenter illustrated how courts can run afoul of the ADA with recent cases. He discussed a Denver matter in which a prospective juror with a hearing disability…
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