‘An Act To Provide Consistency with Regard to Jury Duty Exemption’
| SP0026 LD 46 |
Session - 128th Maine Legislature C "A", Filing Number S-46, Sponsored by
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LR 321 Item 2 |
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| Bill Tracking, Additional Documents | Chamber Status | ||
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Provide Consistency with Regard to Jury Duty Exemption’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 14 MRSA §1211, as amended by PL 2005, c. 60, §1, is further amended to read:
§ 1211. Disqualifications and exemptions from jury service
A prospective juror is disqualified to serve on a jury if that prospective juror is not a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age and a resident of the county, or is unable to read, speak and understand the English language. The following persons are exempt from serving as jurors: The Governor, judges, physicians and dentists providing active patient care, veterinarians with or in an active veterinary medicine practice, sheriffs, attorneys-at-law active duty military and all persons exempt under Title 37-B, section 185.’
summary
Current law requires that all persons chosen for jury service must be selected at random from the broadest feasible cross-section of the population. The bill proposes achieving consistency in exemptions among medical professionals by adding nurse practitioners who are providing active patient care to other medical professionals who are providing active patient care and are currently exempt. This amendment creates consistency among medical professionals and others by removing all statutory exemptions from jury duty except for the Governor, active duty military and deployed state National Guard, thus increasing the juror pool.