U.S. Courts Design Guide
jury box. A fixed shelf for exhibits can be designed as an integral part of the jury
box.
Jurors should be provided with fixed-base, rocking, swivel armchairs. Juror chairs
should be 33 inches (850 mm) apart on-center, side-to-side, and 42 inches (1075
mm) back-to-back. This prevents chair arms from colliding when the chairs swivel,
and provides sufficient aisle space in front of each row of seats. In the six-member
jury trial courtrooms, eight juror seats must be provided in the jury box; in
12-member jury trial courtrooms, 16 juror seats must be provided, plus space for
two additional movable chairs. Seating capacity should be determined in
consultation with the court.
A footrail should be provided on each tier of the jury box to accommodate jurors of
different heights.
Law Clerk Station. The law clerk station must be one step above floor level.
USCA courtrooms must accommodate a workstation near the bench for at least
three law clerks. In trial courtrooms, the station must be set so that the judge and
law clerk can easily see and confer with each other. In trial courtrooms, a
pass-through between the judge's bench and the law clerk station can be provided to
allow for convenient and inconspicuous transfer of documents and messages.
The law clerk station must be adaptable for barrier-free accessibility. See ADAAG
and UFAS for detailed accessibility criteria.
A worksurface (24 inches or 600 mm deep x 60 inches or 1525 mm wide,
minimum) must be provided at desk height. Where more than one law clerk
occupies a station, each clerk should be allocated a worksurface area at least 30
inches (775 mm) wide. Where a computer is used, a corner or side worksurface of
sufficient size should be provided for the terminal, ergonomically placed for the
clerk's comfort without obstructing essential sightlines. The front of the
worksurface must have a rail or barrier (four inches or 100 mm, minimum) around
the top to prevent paper and materials from falling to the floor. For each law clerk,
the workstation generally includes a movable swivel chair.
Storage is provided for the following items:
Files: In trial courtrooms, storage space for files must accommodate both
letter and legal sizes. At least two 20-inch-deep (500 mm) file drawers
must be provided.
Office supplies: Lockable storage drawers to accommodate legal pads
must be provided. Drawer storage is also needed for pens, pencils, erasers,
etc.
In trial courtrooms, the law clerk station must have an intercom or phone (with a
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12/19/97
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