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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6548 (as amended by House “A”)*
AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JURY
SELECTION TASK FORCE.
SUMMARY
This bill adjusts the method for summoning jurors from each town
to reflect how many complied with the summons in the past year.
Beginning October 1, 2022, the bill requires the jury administrator to
compile the number of jurors summoned from each town who
complied with the summons. And beginning July 1, 2023, the number
of jurors chosen from each town must reflect the proportional
representation of each town’s population within the judicial district,
based on the data collected and a specified formula.
The bill establishes temporary procedures for before the data is
collected. From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, whenever there is an
undeliverable jury summons, a replacement summons must be sent to
the same zip code.
The bill also (1) expands eligibility for jury service (e.g., to certain
permanent residents and shortens the time frame barring certain
convicted felons from serving) and (2) requires additional questions on
the juror questionnaire and the judicial branch to compile
demographic information on those who participate in the jury process.
*House Amendment “A” (1) shortens the time frame for barring
someone with a felony conviction from jury service, (2) eliminates the
underlying bill’s provisions on (a) allowing felony case defendants and
certain convicted felons to serve on a jury and (b) compensating and
reimbursing jurors, and (3) changes the one-year time frame for
proportional jury selection from a calendar year to a court year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021, for the eligibility expansion
provision; July 1, 2022, for the zip code replacement summons 2021HB-06548-R01-BA.DOCX
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provision; October 1, 2022, for the juror data compilation and
questionnaire provisions; and July 1, 2023, for the proportional
representation provision.
§ 1 — EXPANDED JURY POOL
The bill expands jury service eligibility by (1) including permanent
residents, as allowed under federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(20)) and (2)
shortening, from seven to three years, the time frame for barring
someone with a felony conviction from serving on a jury.
The bill also increases the minimum age, from 70 to 75, for when
someone may claim an exemption from being summoned and makes a
conforming change to the lists the jury administrator must keep.
§§ 2-4 — JUROR SUMMONS
The bill adjusts the method for summoning jurors from each town
to reflect each town’s juror summons compliance rate in the past year.
Beginning October 1, 2022, the bill requires the jury administrator to
annually compile the number of jurors summoned from each town
who complied with the summons and appeared for jury service.
Beginning July 1, 2023, the bill requires the number of jurors chosen
from each town to reflect the proportional representation of each
town’s population within the judicial district modified by the
percentage of jurors who complied with summonses in the prior year.
This is calculated by dividing each town’s proportional share of the
judicial district’s population by the town’s “yield ratio.” Under the bill,
the “yield ratio” is the (1) number of jurors from the town who were
summoned the previous court year and complied and appeared for
jury service, divided by (2) product of the town’s proportional share of
the judicial district’s population and the total number of jurors
summoned in the judicial district in the previous court year. A “court
year” is the one-year period beginning on September 1 and ending on
August 31 the following year.
As under existing law, the jury administrator must use population
data from the most recent decennial census. 2021HB-06548-R01-BA.DOCX
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The bill also establishes temporary procedures before the data is
collected. From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, for each undeliverable
jury summons, the jury administrator must send an additional
randomly generated summons to a juror with the same zip code as the
undeliverable summons.
§ 5 — JURY QUESTIONNAIRE
Under current law, the jury administrator must send a prospective
juror a confidential questionnaire with certain questions about his or
her personal information (e.g., age, race, occupation). The bill requires
the questionnaire to also have questions on gender and other
demographic information the judicial branch deems appropriate. It
requires the administrator to provide, rather than send, the
questionnaire.
The bill requires the judicial branch to compile a record of the
demographic characteristics of all individuals who (1) are summoned
for jury service; (2) participated in a panel; (3) are subject to a
preemptory challenge (i.e., objection to a prospective juror without
needing a reason); (4) are subject to challenge for cause (i.e., objection
to a prospective juror for a stated reason, such as bias); and (5) serve on
a jury. The record must exclude personally identifiable information
(i.e., identifying information linked or linkable to a specific person)
and be maintained in a way that provides free and open access to the
information on the Internet.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 25 Nay 13 (04/06/2021)
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 32 Nay 16 (05/10/2021)