AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 26, 2019

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 13, 2019

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 17, 2019

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 29, 2019

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 21, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

92

CHAPTER 591

Statutes of 2019

[ Approved by Governor October 8, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State October 8, 2019. ]

Introduced by Senator Skinner

February 15, 2019

An act to amend Section 203 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to juries.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

The Trial Jury Selection and Management Act prohibits persons who have been convicted of malfeasance in office or a felony, and whose civil rights have not been restored, from being eligible and qualified to be a prospective trial juror.

This bill would delete the prohibition relative to persons who have been convicted of a felony from being eligible and qualified to be a prospective trial juror, and instead would prohibit persons while they are incarcerated in any prison or jail, persons who have been convicted of a felony and are currently on parole, postrelease community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony, and persons who are currently required to register as a sex offender based on a felony conviction. The bill would state that the provisions relating to the eligibility and qualification to be a prospective trial juror are severable.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 203 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read:

203.

(a) All persons are eligible and qualified to be prospective trial jurors, except the following:

(1) Persons who are not citizens of the United States.

(2) Persons who are less than 18 years of age.

(3) Persons who are not domiciliaries of the State of California, as determined pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 2020) of Chapter 1 of Division 2 of the Elections Code.

(4) Persons who are not residents of the jurisdiction wherein they are summoned to serve.

(5) Persons who have been convicted of malfeasance in office and whose civil rights have not been restored.

(6) Persons who are not possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language, provided that no person shall be deemed incompetent solely because of the loss of sight or hearing in any degree or other disability which impedes the person’s ability to communicate or which impairs or interferes with the person’s mobility.

(7) Persons who are serving as grand or trial jurors in any court of this state.

(8) Persons who are the subject of conservatorship.

(9) Persons while they are incarcerated in any prison or jail.

(10) Persons who have been convicted of a felony and are currently on parole, postrelease community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony.

(11) Persons who are currently required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code based on a felony conviction.

(b) No person shall be excluded from eligibility for jury service in the State of California, for any reason other than those reasons provided by this section.

(c) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.