REPORT TITLE:
Service as Juror; Exemption


DESCRIPTION:
Repeals the exemption from jury service for heads of executive
departments, elected officials, judges, ministers or priests, and
active members of the armed forces. (HB 83, SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        83
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO COURTS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that under current law
 
 2 persons are exempted from jury service based solely on their
 
 3 occupational status.  The legislature believes that a repeal of
 
 4 certain "employment based" exemptions to the jury selection
 
 5 process will create a larger jury pool representing a more
 
 6 diverse cross-section of the community.  This diversity will
 
 7 strengthen the public's perception of a fair and equitable
 
 8 justice system while ensuring that constitutional requirements
 
 9 are met.
 
10      SECTION 2.  Section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
11 amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
 
12      "(b)  From January 1, 1991, for the courts of the first
 
13 circuit, and from January 1, 1992, for all other circuits of the
 
14 State, a person may claim exemption from service as a juror if
 
15 the person is:
 
16      (1)  [An] A practicing attorney at law;
 
17     [(2)  A head of an executive department, an elected official,
 
18           or a judge, of the United States, State, or county;
 
19      (3)  A minister or priest following the minister's or
 
20           priest's profession;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        S.D. 1
                                                        

 
 1      (4)](2)  A practicing physician or dentist;
 
 2     [(5)  A member of the armed forces or militia when on active
 
 3           service, or an active member of a police or fire
 
 4           department;]
 
 5      (3)  An active member of a police or fire department;
 
 6     [(6)](4)   A person who has served as a juror, either in a
 
 7 court of this State or the United States District Court for the
 
 8 District of Hawaii, within one year preceding the time of filling
 
 9 out the juror qualification form."
 
10      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
11 New statutory material is underscored.
 
12      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2000;
 
13 provided that on June 30, 2003, this Act shall be repealed and
 
14 section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is reenacted in the form
 
15 in which it read on the day before the approval of this Act.