The University of Illinois Law and the League of Women Voters are releasing the Courtwatching Report in a press conference which began at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Champaign County Courthhouse (101 E. Main St. in Urbana).

This is the sixth consecutive year that the University of Illinois Law and the League of Women Voters contributed to the Champaign County Courtwatching Report.

A major highlight of the report is that “white jurors are 3.7 times more likely to be seated than non-white jurors in Champaign County Courts,” said Carrie Turner, assistant dean for strategic initiatives at the College of Law.

The task of compiling the report involves about 120 College of Law Trial Advocacy students and the standing corps of observers in the League of Women Voters. The courtroom observations are extensive and analyzed for statistical significance.

In the past five years, the Courtwatching Report showed significant trends in the Champaign County courts. It also provided guidelines and suggestions for improving courtroom proceedings, jury selection, courtroom functions and process of gaining representative juries.

“We are really trying to improve the process to get more community participation and response so we can achieve better cross section in our juries,” said Steve Beckett, director of trial advocacy.

Other highlights of the report include:

1) In 2010, the combination of race and sex in being seated on a Champaign County jury is statistically significant.

2) Women are 1.5 times as likely to be seated as men.

Among the guests present are:

1) College of Law Professors Steve Beckett and Business Professor C. K. Gunsalus

2) Law Students Shellie Stephens and Jason Patterson, who participated in the survey collection and court observation

3) Joan Miller, chair of the Justice Committee for the League of Women Voters

The full report will be available online at www.law.illinois.edu on Thursday afternoon.