101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2525
 
Introduced 1/28/2020, by Sen. Robert Peters
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 



705 ILCS 305/2  from Ch. 78, par. 2

     Amends the Jury Act. Deletes language providing that jurors must be free from all legal exception, of fair character, of approved integrity, of sound judgment, and well informed. Provides that no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be excluded from jury service on the basis of previous criminal conviction.
  


LRB101 18259 LNS 67704 b

 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
SB2525LRB101 18259 LNS 67704 b


  
1    AN ACT concerning courts.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The Jury Act is amended  by changing Section 2 as 
5follows:
 


6    (705 ILCS 305/2)  (from Ch. 78, par. 2)



7    Sec. 2. Jury qualifications. 
8    (a) At the September meeting of the county board in each 
9year in the
respective counties in this State, except those 
10that have
jury
commissioners, the board shall select from the

11list
the number of persons
as the judges of the circuit courts, 
12to be held in the county
during the
succeeding year, may by 
13joint action determine to serve as petit jurors. In
counties 
14having jury commissioners, the persons to serve as petit jurors

15shall be selected by the jury commissioners, as provided by 
16law.  County
boards, a jury administrator,
and jury

17commissioners may utilize
the services of the
Administrative 
18Office of the Illinois Courts in making these selections.

19Jurors in all counties in Illinois must have the legal 
20qualifications
herein prescribed. Jurors must be:

21        (1) Inhabitants of the county.

22        (2) Of the age of 18 years or upwards.

23        (3) Able Free from all legal exception, of fair 
 
 
SB2525- 2 -LRB101 18259 LNS 67704 b

1    character, of
approved
integrity, of sound judgment, well 
2    informed, and able to understand
the English language, 
3    whether in spoken or written form or interpreted into
sign 
4    language.

5        (4) Citizens of the United States of America.

6    (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, 
7no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be 
8excluded from jury service in any court of this State on the 
9basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual 
10orientation, or economic status, or previous criminal 
11conviction. As used in this subsection, "religion", "sex", 
12"sexual orientation", and "national origin" have the meanings 
13provided in Section 1-103 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
14(Source: P.A. 100-228, eff. 1-1-18; 101-327, eff. 1-1-20.)