Bill > SB758

This bill modifies existing California law regarding peremptory challenges in jury selection, specifically addressing situations where a law enforcement officer is a defendant or alleged victim. Currently, potential jurors can be excluded from a jury through peremptory challenges, but there are restrictions on using these challenges based on a juror's demographic characteristics. The bill removes the presumption of invalidity for peremptory challenges when a prospective juror expresses distrust of law enforcement, believes law enforcement engages in racial profiling, or has close relationships with people who have been arrested or convicted of a crime, but only in cases involving law enforcement officers. This means that in such cases, attorneys will have more latitude to exclude jurors with these perspectives without having to meet the previous high standard of proving the challenge is unrelated to bias. The change aims to provide more flexibility in jury selection for cases directly involving law enforcement, recognizing that potential jurors might have nuanced experiences and perspectives related to law enforcement that could legitimately impact their ability to serve impartially. The bill is set to become operative on January 1, 2026, and applies to jury trials beginning on or after that date.

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https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB758