SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1252

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 16, 1996

      The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1252.

      This bill would excuse persons 65 years of age from jury duty if they notify the assignment judge or the jury management office of the county in which they were summoned at least seven days prior to the date on which they have been summoned to report for service. Under this provision, prospective jurors must be excused from jury service if the age and notice conditions are met. Currently, an assignment judge may excuse prospective jurors from jury duty if they are 75 years of age or older.

      This bill would provide that, upon notification to the assignment judge, the juror records of prospective jurors 65 years of age or older who no longer want to serve as jurors will be designated in such a way that they will not be selected for jury service in the future. However, prospective jurors may at any time request the assignment judge to remove the designation.

      The amendments adopted by the committee would expand county juror source lists to include volunteers for jury service. Currently, juror source lists are compiled by merging lists of registered voters, licensed drivers, filers of State gross income tax returns and filers of homestead rebate application forms. Volunteer lists would be compiled and provided to the assignment judges to merge with these lists pursuant to procedures established by the Supreme Court. Volunteers who had been previously excused from jury service under N.J.S.2B:20-10 may waive that excuse, thereby restoring their eligibility to serve.