Baltimore City juries tend to convict defendants at a lower rate than surrounding counties, but when an Abell Foundation report last month suggested the city move to a “regional jury pool,” the city’s top prosecutor and defense attorney immediately objected.

“I think that citizens who live in the city, and pay taxes in the city, should sit on juries in the city,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy said at a recent meeting of the Baltimore City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.