Bill Text: IL SB1378 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: Amends the Jury Act. Provides that except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be excluded from jury service in any court of this State on the basis of, among other things, sexual orientation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 52-2)
Status: (Passed) 2019-08-09 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0327 [SB1378 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-SB1378-Chaptered.html
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| Public Act 101-0327 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning courts.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Jury Act is amended by changing Section 2 as | ||||
follows:
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(705 ILCS 305/2) (from Ch. 78, par. 2)
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Sec. 2. Jury qualifications. | ||||
(a) At the September meeting of the county board in each | ||||
year in the
respective counties in this State, except those | ||||
that have
jury
commissioners, the board shall select from the
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list
the number of persons
as the judges of the circuit courts, | ||||
to be held in the county
during the
succeeding year, may by | ||||
joint action determine to serve as petit jurors. In
counties | ||||
having jury commissioners, the persons to serve as petit jurors
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shall be selected by the jury commissioners, as provided by | ||||
law. County
boards, a jury administrator,
and jury
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commissioners may utilize
the services of the
Administrative | ||||
Office of the Illinois Courts in making these selections.
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Jurors in all counties in Illinois must have the legal | ||||
qualifications
herein prescribed. Jurors must be:
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(1) Inhabitants of the county.
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(2) Of the age of 18 years or upwards.
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(3) Free from all legal exception, of fair character, | ||||
of
approved
integrity, of sound judgment, well informed, | ||
and able to understand
the English language, whether in | ||
spoken or written form or interpreted into
sign language.
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(4) Citizens of the United States of America.
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(b) Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, | ||
no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be | ||
excluded from jury service in any court of this State on the | ||
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual | ||
orientation, or economic status. As used in this subsection, | ||
"religion", "sex", "sexual orientation", and "national origin" | ||
have the meanings provided in Section 1-103 of the Illinois | ||
Human Rights Act. | ||
(Source: P.A. 100-228, eff. 1-1-18.)
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