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.)