Bill > SR183

This resolution establishes a Commission on Non-unanimous Verdicts to study the impact of non-unanimous jury verdicts in Louisiana, which were permitted from 1898 until 2019 and were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2020 Ramos v. Louisiana decision. The commission will be composed of two Senate Judiciary B members, representatives from the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, The Promise of Justice Initiative, The Juror Project, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and a victim's rights advocate. The commission's primary objectives are to determine the number and geographic distribution of non-unanimous jury verdict cases, collect data through court records and legal filings, and propose legislative recommendations by February 1, 2026. Incarcerated individuals who believe they were convicted by a non-unanimous jury may submit their cases for review, and the commission will establish procedures to assess these submissions. Commission members will serve without compensation but may receive per diem or expense reimbursement, and the commission will terminate upon submitting its report or on February 1, 2026. The Senate Committee on Judiciary B will provide staff support, and the commission will require a majority vote for official actions.