BILL NO A02374A
SAME AS SAME AS S02613-A
SPONSOR Lancman (MS)
COSPNSR Jeffries, Lentol, Arroyo, Espaillat, Wright, Hikind, Peoples-Stokes,
Camara, Zebrowski, Kellner, Farrell, Cook, Glick, McEneny, Gottfried,
DelMonte, Jaffee, Schroeder, Peralta, Colton
MLTSPNSR Latimer
Add S528, Judy L
Enacts the "jury pool fair representation act"; provides for the collection of
demographic data for jurors who present for service and for the submission of
such data in an annual report to the governor, speaker of the assembly,
temporary president of the senate and the chief judge of the court of appeals.
BILL NO A02374A
01/15/2009 referred to judiciary
06/02/2009 amend (t) and recommit to judiciary
06/02/2009 print number 2374a
06/09/2009 reported referred to rules
06/22/2009 reported
06/22/2009 rules report cal.567
06/22/2009 ordered to third reading rules cal.567
06/22/2009 passed assembly
06/22/2009 delivered to senate
06/22/2009 REFERRED TO RULES
01/06/2010 DIED IN SENATE
01/06/2010 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
01/06/2010 ordered to third reading cal.204
02/09/2010 passed assembly
02/09/2010 delivered to senate
02/09/2010 REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
02/24/2010 SUBSTITUTED FOR S2613A
02/24/2010 3RD READING CAL.123
05/03/2010 PASSED SENATE
05/03/2010 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
06/04/2010 delivered to governor
06/15/2010 signed chap.112
BILL NUMBER:A2374A
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the judiciary law, in relation to enact-
ing the "jury pool fair representation act"
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL: This bill would require the record-
ing of demographic data on jury pools to determine whether jury pools in
this state represent a fair cross-section of the community.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: The bill adds section 508 to the Judici-
ary Law, requiring the commissioner of jurors to collect and report
demographic data on jury pool participation based on race and/or ethnic-
ity, age and sex, and to annually report such data to the governor,
legislative leaders and the chief judge of New York, in order to provide
the courts and policymakers with a more accurate picture of jury pools
and whether such jury pools are representative of the communities resid-
ing in the particular jurisdiction.
JUSTIFICATION: In 2006 Citizen Action-New York released a study suggest-
ing that minorities are severely under-represented in civil jury pools
in New York County, confirming what practitioners in that jurisdiction
have observed for years. Numerous witnesses at an Assembly hearing on
this legislation in the Spring of 2009 testified to a similar conclu-
sion. In order to determine the real nature and scope of the problem,
and in order to adopt appropriate corrective policies, it is necessary
to formally collect demographic data on jury pools. Only then can we
begin to act to ensure that our juries truly represent a fair cross-sec-
tion of the community.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Minimal. The data can be easily collected by adding
appropriate questions to existing juror questionnaires and forms.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Ninety days after enactment.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2374--A
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 15, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LANCMAN, JEFFRIES, LENTOL, ARROYO, ESPAILLAT,
WRIGHT, HIKIND, PEOPLES, CAMARA, ZEBROWSKI, KELLNER, FARRELL, COOK,
GLICK, McENENY, GOTTFRIED, DelMONTE, JAFFEE, SCHROEDER, PERALTA,
COLTON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LATIMER -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to enacting the "jury
pool fair representation act"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "jury pool
2 fair representation act".
3 S 2. The judiciary law is amended by adding a new section 528 to read
4 as follows:
5 S 528. COLLECTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. THE COMMISSIONER OF JURORS
6 SHALL COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR JURORS WHO PRESENT FOR JURY SERVICE,
7 INCLUDING EACH JUROR'S RACE AND/OR ETHNICITY, AGE AND SEX, AND THE CHIEF
8 ADMINISTRATOR OF THE COURTS SHALL SUBMIT THE DATA IN AN ANNUAL REPORT TO
9 THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
10 THE SENATE AND THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS.
11 S 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
12 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01061-02-9
