Bill > S131

Introduced Session

This bill would provide an excuse from jury service for members of the military under certain circumstances. Currently, N.J.S.2B:20-10 enumerates the grounds for excuse from jury service. Pursuant to P.L.1995, c.44, the Legislature eliminated exemptions for jury service and provided that a juror may be excused from jury service in limited circumstances: the juror is 75 years of age or under; the juror has served as a juror within the last three years; jury service with impose a severe hardship; the juror is a volunteer fire department or fire patrol member; or the juror is a volunteer first aid or rescue squad member. Although N.J.S.38A:4-6 provides an excuse from jury service for members of the military, this section does not set forth a mechanism whereby the courts can verify a person's status in the military. This bill would repeal N.J.S.38A:4-6 and amend N.J.S.A.2B:20-10 to establish procedures for excuse from jury service for officers and enlisted members of the military. Under the bill, an officer or enlisted member of the organized militia, the United States Armed Forces, or a reserve component may be excused from jury service provided the person has submitted to the jury manager or Assignment Judge a certification that the person is unavailable for jury service due to a military deployment or duty assignment.

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Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document