Zolin
Greater Los Angeles Council of Deafness, Inc. v. Zolin
Opinion
Opinion
Rafeedie, J.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
BACKGROUND
This suit was brought by individual plaintiffs Barbara Sheridan and Joy Anne Mau-cere, and by the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness, Inc. (“GLAD”) against the County of Los Angeles (“County”); the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles (“Superior Court”); Frank Zolin, Jury Commissioner for the County; and Raymond Árce, Director of Juror Services for the County.
Sheridan and Maucere are both deaf. Plaintiffs allege that the defendants’ refusal to pay for, or provide, sign language interpreters for deaf or hearing impaired individuals so that such individuals may serve on juries violates § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (1982); § 122(a) of the Revenue Sharing Act, 31 U.S.C. § 6716 (1982), and accompanying regulations (31 C.F.R. Part 51); § 1983 of Title 42; and California Government Code § 11135. Plaintiffs seek a mandatory injunction requiring defendants to pay for or otherwise provide interpreters for deaf individuals called to jury service in the Superior Court. Plaintiffs also seek monetary damages.
In 1981, both Sheridan and Maucere received trial jury summonses ordering them to…