RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 121 (HB 84) 2021 Regular Session Marcelle
Existing law provides for the following qualifications that a person shall meet in order to
serve as a juror in civil and criminal cases:
(1)Be a citizen of the United States and of this state who has resided within the parish
in which he is to serve as a juror for at least one year immediately preceding his jury
service.
(2)Be at least 18 years of age.
(3)Be able to read, write, and speak the English language and be possessed of sufficient
knowledge of the English language.
(4)Not be under interdiction or incapable of serving as a juror because of a mental or
physical infirmity, provided that no person shall be deemed incompetent solely
because of the loss of hearing in any degree.
(5)Not be under indictment for a felony nor have been convicted of a felony for which
he has not been pardoned by the governor.
New law amends existing law (C.Cr.P. Art. 401(A)(5)) to provide that in order to qualify to
serve as a juror, a person shall not be under an indictment, incarcerated under an order of
imprisonment, or on probation or parole for a felony offense within the five-year period
immediately preceding the person's jury service.
New law retains all other existing law qualifications for jurors.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends C.Cr.P. Art. 401(A)(intro. para.) and (5))