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Bill > S1069
NJ S1069
NJ S1069Clarifies excuse from jury service for members of the military or reserve under certain circumstances; repeals N.J.S.38A:4-6.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
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.
AI Summary
This bill amends existing law to create a clear process for members of the military, including the organized militia, the U.S. Armed Forces, and their reserve components, to be excused from jury service when their military duties conflict. Currently, while there are grounds for excuse from jury duty, such as age, prior service, or severe hardship, the existing law lacks a specific mechanism for verifying military status for excuses. This bill repeals an outdated section of law concerning military excuses and instead adds a new provision to the general grounds for jury excuse, allowing officers and enlisted members to be excused if they provide a certification to the jury manager or Assignment Judge (the judge overseeing jury selection) stating they are unavailable due to a military deployment or duty assignment.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S1069 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S1500/1069_I1.HTM |
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