Judicial Inquisition

FOR MOST AMERICANS, JURY DUTY FALLS SOMEwhere between civic responsibility and a pain in the neck. For the 12 people who hear the federal trial of four Los Angeles police officers in the case of black motorist Rodney King, it's likely to be a life-altering ordeal. In a Los Angeles federal court, 333 prospective panelists spent their first day filling out a 53-page document asking 148 separate questions. It seeks, along with much other information, their reactions to last year's riots and their feelings about police and race relations. The Justice Department assured confidentiality, but one juror demanded that presiding U.S. District Judge John Davies swear that the questionnaires will remain private forever. Davies refused, but told the pool of nervous jurors that the chosen 12 will have "an extraordinarily interesting experience" that they will look back on as "a true highlight" in their lives.