Bill Text: NJ A2949 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits county resident to volunteer for jury service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A2949 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A2949-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Permits county resident to volunteer for jury service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning voluntary jury service and amending N.J.S.2B:20-2 and supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S. 2B:20-2 is amended to read as follows:
2B:20-2. a. The names of persons eligible for jury service shall be selected from a single juror source list of county residents whose names and addresses shall be obtained from a merger of the following lists: registered voters, licensed drivers, filers of State gross income tax returns, [and] filers of homestead rebate or credit application forms and a separate, voluntary list of persons available for jury service including but not limited to persons who are retired, or employed part-time, compiled annually by the county clerk of each county. The county election board, the ounty clerk, the [Division of Motor Vehicles] New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and the State Division of Taxation shall provide these lists annually to the Assignment Judge of the county. The Assignment Judge may provide for the merger of additional lists of persons eligible for jury service that may contribute to the breadth of the juror source list. Merger of the lists of eligible jurors into a single juror source list shall include a reasonable attempt to eliminate duplication of names, except that persons whose names appear on the separate, voluntary list of persons available for jury service shall not be eliminated for duplication, and may appear up to two times in a merged juror source list.
b. The juror source list shall be compiled once a year or more often as directed by the Assignment Judge.
c. The juror source list may be expanded by the Supreme Court as it deems appropriate.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.62, s.41)
2. (New section). a. Every county clerk shall annually maintain a list which shall consist of the names of county residents who opt to be listed as persons volunteering to serve as grand or petit jurors for the county for a period of one year from the date of registration. The list shall be compiled from data submitted by any person seeking to volunteer as a prospective juror, in any form deemed appropriate by the county clerk, which can include paper or electronic submission. The data submitted shall indicate the name and address of the prospective volunteer juror, the date the year-long commitment shall begin, any restriction as to whether the person is volunteering for grand or petit juror service and shall be signed by the prospective volunteer juror. This list shall be separate from any other list used for the preparation of the juror source list for the county, and shall be submitted to the Assignment Judge of the county at the same time the county board of elections shall annually submit the list of registered voters of the county to the Assignment Judge. The county clerk shall then start a new list.
3. The Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey shall adopt Rules of Court appropriate or necessary to effectuate the purpose of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
At present, county juror source lists are compiled from a merger of lists including registered voters, licensed drivers, filers of State gross income tax returns and filers of homestead rebate or credit application forms. This bill would add a new list, consisting of persons volunteering to serve as grand or petit jurors for the county.
Under the bill, every county clerk shall annually maintain a list which shall consist of the names of county residents who opt to be listed as persons volunteering to serve as grand or petit jurors for the county for a period of one year from the date of registration. The list shall be compiled from data submitted by any person seeking to volunteer as a prospective juror, in any form deemed appropriate by the county clerk, which can include paper or electronic submission. The data submitted shall indicate the name and address of the prospective volunteer juror, the date the year-long commitment shall begin, any restriction as to whether the person is volunteering for grand or petit juror service and shall be signed by the prospective volunteer juror. This list shall be separate from any other list used for the preparation of the juror source list for the county, and shall be submitted to the Assignment Judge of the county at the same time the county board of elections shall annually submit the list of registered voters of the county to the Assignment Judge.
