WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CADDO JURY TRIAL AND A CADDO COMMISSION MEETING?

For starters, jury trials in Louisiana will restart on April 1 and they will be "live."

No one knows when the Caddo Commission will meet "live" versus Zoom.

Jury trials can be heard by 6 jurors or 12.

The Caddo Commission has 12 members and only needs 7 for a quorum.

Caddo jurors in the courtroom can NOT answer their phones, watch TV, eat snacks and/or even participate by phone while going through a drive-through burger joint while sitting as a jury.

Caddo Commissioners can (and do) participate in these activities while meeting by Zoom.

Caddo jurors must pass a temperature test to enter courthouses.

Caddo commissioners are NOT required to have their temps taken when entering the chambers at government plaza.

Caddo jurors are seated with appropriate distancing without plexiglass partitions.

Caddo Commissioners will enjoy plexiglass partitions between their seats in the chambers when/if they return to "live" meetings.

Caddo jurors must drive to and from their homes to courthouses to serve on a jury.

Caddo Commissioners can Zoom from their home, office , their car or just participate by phones.

Caddo Jurors are selected at random and must serve or be subject to arrest.

Caddo Commissioners choose to run for office to serve.

Caddo jurors must follow rules of law and judicial instructions.

Caddo Commissioners can set their own rules of procedure, especially on what actions can be appropriately handled in zoom meetings.

Caddo jurors are paid a per diem of $50 for civil trials and $25 for criminal trials.

Caddo Commissioners are paid a per diem $62.21 for each day of the year ($22,707 per year.)

The list of differences between a Caddo juror and a Caddo Commissioner could go on and on.

This is NOT the case with the justifications for continuing Caddo Commission meetings by Zoom.