Report Title:

Jury Service; Exemptions; Excuse

Description:

Repeals the exemption from jury service for certain individuals. Allows an elected official serving in a legislative capacity to claim an exemption only when the legislative body is in session. Allows a juror to be excused from jury duty for reason of financial hardship.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

978

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to courts.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§612-6 Exempt when. [(a) No person shall be authorized to claim an exemption from service as a juror in the courts of the first circuit from January 1, 1989, through December 31, 1990, and in the courts of all circuits, other than the first circuit from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 1991.

(b) From January 1, 1991, for the courts of the first circuit, and from January 1, 1992, for all other circuits of the State, a] A person may claim exemption from service as a juror if the person is:

(1) [An attorney at law;

(2) A head of an executive department, an elected official, or a judge, of the United States, State or county;

(3) A minister or priest following the minister's or priest's profession;

(4)] An elected official; provided that an elected official serving in a legislative capacity may claim this exemption only when the legislative body is in session;

(2) A practicing physician or dentist;

[(5) A member of the armed forces or militia when on active service, or an]

(3) An active member of a police or fire department; or

[(6)] (4) A person who has served as a juror, either in a court of this State or the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, within one year preceding the time of filling out the juror qualification form."

SECTION 2. Section 612-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§612-7[]] Excused when, for cause. A juror shall not be excused by a court for slight or trivial cause, but only when it appears that jury duty would entail a serious personal or financial hardship[,] or that for other good cause the juror should be excused either temporarily or otherwise."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 1 of this Act shall be repealed on June 30, 2005, and section 612-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day before the approval of this Act.

INTRODUCED BY:

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