A06553 Summary:
BILL NO A06553
SAME AS SAME AS S05004
SPONSOR Skartados (MS)
COSPNSR Weinstein, Buchwald, Titone, Hennessey, Weprin
MLTSPNSR Dinowitz, Titus, Zebrowski
Amd S4106, CPLR
Grants the court discretionary authority to retain alternate jurors after final
submission of the case.Go to topA06553 Actions:
BILL NO A06553 04/09/2013 referred to judiciary 04/16/2013 reported 04/18/2013 advanced to third reading cal.170 04/24/2013 passed assembly 04/24/2013 delivered to senate 04/24/2013 REFERRED TO JUDICIARY 06/04/2013 SUBSTITUTED FOR S5004 06/04/2013 3RD READING CAL.765 06/04/2013 PASSED SENATE 06/04/2013 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY 07/19/2013 delivered to governor 07/31/2013 signed chap.204Go to top
A06553 Votes:
| Abbate | Y | Colton | Y | Garbari | Y | Kearns | Y | Miller | Y | Reilich | ER | Steck | Y |
| Abinant | Y | Cook | Y | Gibson | Y | Kellner | Y | Millman | Y | Rivera | Y | Stevens | ER |
| Arroyo | Y | Corwin | Y | Giglio | Y | Kim | Y | Montesa | Y | Roberts | Y | Stirpe | Y |
| Aubry | Y | Crespo | Y | Gjonaj | Y | Kolb | Y | Morelle | Y | Robinso | Y | Sweeney | Y |
| Barclay | Y | Crouch | Y | Glick | Y | Lalor | Y | Mosley | Y | Rodrigu | Y | Tedisco | Y |
| Barrett | Y | Curran | Y | Goldfed | Y | Lavine | Y | Moya | Y | Rosa | Y | Tenney | Y |
| Barron | Y | Cusick | Y | Goodell | Y | Lentol | Y | Nojay | Y | Rosenth | Y | Thiele | Y |
| Benedet | Y | Cymbrow | Y | Gottfri | Y | Lifton | Y | Nolan | Y | Rozic | Y | Titone | ER |
| Blanken | ER | DenDekk | Y | Graf | Y | Lope PD | Y | Oaks | ER | Russell | Y | Titus | Y |
| Borelli | Y | Dinowit | Y | Gunther | Y | Lope VJ | ER | O'Donne | Y | Ryan | Y | Walter | Y |
| Boyland | Y | DiPietr | Y | Hawley | Y | Lupardo | Y | Ortiz | Y | Saladin | Y | Weinste | Y |
| Braunst | Y | Duprey | Y | Heastie | Y | Lupinac | Y | Otis | Y | Santaba | Y | Weisenb | Y |
| Brennan | Y | Englebr | Y | Henness | Y | Magee | Y | Palmesa | Y | Scarbor | Y | Weprin | Y |
| Brindis | Y | Espinal | Y | Hevesi | Y | Magnare | Y | Paulin | Y | Schimel | Y | Wright | Y |
| Bronson | Y | Fahy | Y | Hikind | ER | Maisel | Y | Peoples | Y | Schimmi | Y | Zebrows | Y |
| Brook-K | Y | Farrell | Y | Hooper | ER | Malliot | ER | Perry | Y | Sepulve | Y | Mr Spkr | Y |
| Buchwal | Y | Finch | Y | Jacobs | Y | Markey | Y | Pretlow | Y | Simanow | Y | ||
| Butler | Y | Fitzpat | Y | Jaffee | Y | Mayer | Y | Quart | Y | Simotas | Y | ||
| Cahill | Y | Friend | Y | Johns | Y | McDonal | Y | Ra | Y | Skartad | Y | ||
| Camara | Y | Gabrysz | Y | Jordan | Y | McDonou | Y | Rabbitt | Y | Skoufis | Y | ||
| Ceretto | Y | Galef | Y | Katz | Y | McKevit | Y | Raia | Y | Solages | Y | ||
| Clark | ER | Gantt | Y | Kavanag | Y | McLaugh | Y | Ramos | Y | Stec | Y |
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A06553 Memo:
BILL NUMBER:A6553 TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the civil practice law and rules in relation to the discretionary retention of alternate jurors after final submission of the case This is one in a series of measures being introduced at the request of the Chief Administrative Judge upon the recommendation of her Advisory Committee on Civil Practice. This measure would amend CPLR 4106 to permit the court, in its discretion, to retain one or more alternate jurors after final submission of a case to ensure availability if needed during jury deliberations. The proposed amendment of section 4106 also addresses the manner in which the retained alternate jurors may be utilized. Current CPLR 4106 provides that after final submission of the case, "the court shall discharge the alternate jurors". As a consequence, in the event that a juror becomes disabled during deliberations, the court must declare a mistrial unless all parties consent to proceed with a five person jury, which consent is rarely obtained. In cases of several weeks' duration, classically commercial, medical malpractice or products liability cases, a mistrial results in a tremendous waste of time and money for the litigants, the attorneys, and the court, and frustration for the remaining jurors who have served throughout a prolonged trial in an effort to render a verdict. There is a continuing disparity among many courts statewide as to the practice regarding alternate jurors. This measure also would amend CPLR 4106 to address the manner in which the retained alternate jurors may be utilized by providing that once deliberations have begun, the court may allow an alternate juror to participate in such deliberations only if a regular juror becomes unable to perform the duties of a juror. This measure also makes gender-neutral changes. In proposing this measure, our Advisory Committee expresses its appreciation for the recommendations of Honorable Philip G. Minardo, former Administrative Judge, Richmond County. Judge Minardo made his recommendations on behalf of and with the support of the New York State Association of Supreme Court Justices and the New York City Association of Supreme Court Justices. This measure would have no fiscal impact on the State. It would take effect on the first day of January next succeeding the date on which it shall become law and shall apply to all actions commenced on or after that effective date and to all pending actions in which a jury has not yet been selected. 2012 Legislative History: Senate 6658-A (Bonacic) [Rules] Assembly 10376 (NI. of A. Skartados) [Passed]Go to top
A06553 Text:
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6553
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 9, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SKARTADOS, WEINSTEIN, BUCHWALD, TITONE, HENNESSEY
-- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. DINOWITZ, ZEBROWSKI -- (at request
of the Office of Court Administration) -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules in relation to the
discretionary retention of alternate jurors after final submission of
the case
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Section 4106 of the civil practice law and rules, as
2 amended by chapter 336 of the laws of 1972, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 S 4106. Alternate jurors. [Unless the court, in its discretion, orders
5 otherwise, one] ONE or [two] MORE additional jurors, to be known as
6 "alternate jurors", may be drawn upon the request of a party AND CONSENT
7 OF THE COURT. Such ALTERNATE JUROR OR jurors shall be drawn at the same
8 time, from the same source, in the same manner, and have the same quali-
9 fications as [the] regular jurors, and be subject to the same examina-
10 tions and challenges. They shall be seated with, take the oath with, and
11 be treated in the same manner as the regular jurors[, except that
12 after]. AFTER final submission of the case, the court [shall discharge
13 the] MAY, IN ITS DISCRETION, RETAIN SUCH alternate JUROR OR jurors[. If]
14 TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY IF NEEDED. AT ANY TIME, before OR AFTER the final
15 submission of the case, IF a regular juror dies, or becomes ill, or [for
16 any other reason] is unable to perform [his duty] THE DUTIES OF A JUROR,
17 the court may order [him to be] THAT JUROR discharged and draw the name
18 of an alternate, OR RETAINED ALTERNATE, IF ANY, who shall replace the
19 discharged juror [in the jury box], and be treated as if [he] THAT JUROR
20 had been selected as one of the regular jurors. ONCE DELIBERATIONS HAVE
21 BEGUN, THE COURT MAY ALLOW AN ALTERNATE JUROR TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09911-01-3
A. 6553 2
1 DELIBERATIONS ONLY IF A REGULAR JUROR BECOMES UNABLE TO PERFORM THE
2 DUTIES OF A JUROR.
3 S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
4 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all
5 actions commenced on or after such effective date and to all pending
6 actions on such effective date in which a jury has not yet been
7 selected.
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