Requires the office of court administration to study racial disparities in jury selection pools and juror selection and make recommendations that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror selection.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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3960
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 1, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to requiring the office
of court administration to study racial disparities in jury selection
pools and juror selection
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The judiciary law is amended by adding a new section 529 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 529. Jury pool and jury selection demographics study. 1. The office
4 of court administration shall conduct a study on the causes and effects
5 of racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror
6 selection. The purpose of the study shall be to:
7 (a) identify statewide and regional ratios of the racial and ethnic
8 makeup of jury selection pools, and racial and ethnic disparities in
9 juror selection;
10 (b) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in jury
11 selection pools and juror selection affect the outcome of cases; and
12 (c) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
13 in jury selection pools and juror selection.
14 2. In conducting the study, the office of court administration may
15 seek the advice of persons specializing in fields related to mitigating
16 and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities.
17 3. Within one year after the effective date of this section, the
18 office of court administration shall prepare and submit to the governor,
19 the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the
20 minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly a
21 report containing the study's findings concerning the causes and effects
22 of racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror
23 selection and recommendations for legislative or other actions that can
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07798-01-1
S. 3960 2
1 be undertaken to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in
2 jury selection pools and juror selection.
3 4. The office of court administration may prepare and submit addi-
4 tional reports when the office deems it appropriate, and each report,
5 with the exception of the first report prepared under this section,
6 shall additionally identify the extent to which the office's prior
7 recommendations have been successfully implemented in practice and the
8 apparent impact that the implementation of such recommended changes has
9 had on racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror
10 selection in the preceding years.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
12 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
13 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
14 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
15 on or before such date.
