GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

S                                                                                                                                                     2

SENATE BILL 293

Judiciary I Committee Substitute Adopted 4/1/09

Short Title:        Juror Qualifications/Electronic Juror List.	(Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:

February 25, 2009

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO amend the qualifications for prospective jurors and to authorize the register of deeds to store an electronic copy of the juror master list.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 9‑3 reads as rewritten:

"§ 9‑3.  Qualifications of prospective jurors.

All persons are qualified to serve as jurors and to be included on the jury list who are citizens of the State and residents of the county, who have not served as jurors during the preceding two years, who are 18 years of age or over, who are physically and mentally competent, who can hear and understand the English language, who have not been convicted of a felony or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to an indictment charging a felony (or if convicted of a felony or having pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to an indictment charging a felony have had their citizenship restored pursuant to law), and who have not been adjudged non compos mentis. Persons not qualified under this section are subject to challenge for cause."

SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 8B‑2 is amended by adding a new subsection  to read:

"(c1) When a deaf person is selected as a juror in any proceeding in any superior or district court of the State or as a grand juror, the court shall appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings to the deaf person. A deaf juror shall be entitled to have the appointed qualified interpreter be present during all jury proceedings and deliberations in order to interpret for the deaf person. The appointed qualified interpreter shall be subject to the same duties, confidentiality, and other restrictions as imposed by the judge on the member of the jury."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 9‑4 reads as rewritten:

"§ 9‑4.  Preparation and custody of list.

As the jury list is prepared, the name and address of each qualified person selected for the list shall be written on a separate card. The cards shall then be alphabetized and permanently numbered, the numbers running consecutively with a different number on each card. These cards shall constitute the jury list for the county. They shall be filed with the register of deeds of the county, together with a statement of the sources used and procedures followed in preparing the list. The list shall be kept under lock and key, but shall be available for public inspection during regular office hours. The register of deeds may elect to store an electronic copy of the jury list for the county."

SECTION 3.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective October 1, 2009, and the remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.