Bill Text: NY S06095 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the office of court administration to study racial disparities in jury selection pools and juror selection and make recommendations that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror selection.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO JUDICIARY [S06095 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06095-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6095

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

        AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to requiring  the  office
          of  court administration to study racial disparities in jury selection
          pools and juror selection

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The judiciary law is amended by adding a new section 529 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  529. Jury pool and jury selection demographics study. 1. The office
     4  of court administration shall conduct a study on the causes and  effects
     5  of  racial  and  ethnic  disparities  in  jury selection pools and juror
     6  selection. The purpose of the study shall be to:
     7    (a) identify statewide and regional ratios of the  racial  and  ethnic
     8  makeup  of  jury  selection  pools, and racial and ethnic disparities in
     9  juror selection;
    10    (b) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities  in  jury
    11  selection pools and juror selection affect the outcome of cases; and
    12    (c) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
    13  in jury selection pools and juror selection.
    14    2.  In  conducting  the  study, the office of court administration may
    15  seek the advice of persons specializing in fields related to  mitigating
    16  and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities.
    17    3.  Within  one  year  after  the  effective date of this section, the
    18  office of court administration shall prepare and submit to the governor,
    19  the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly,  the
    20  minority  leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly a
    21  report containing the study's findings concerning the causes and effects
    22  of racial and ethnic disparities  in  jury  selection  pools  and  juror
    23  selection  and recommendations for legislative or other actions that can

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11603-01-9
        S. 6095                             2

     1  be undertaken to reduce or eliminate racial and  ethnic  disparities  in
     2  jury selection pools and juror selection.
     3    4.  The  office  of  court administration may prepare and submit addi-
     4  tional reports when the office deems it appropriate,  and  each  report,
     5  with  the  exception  of  the  first report prepared under this section,
     6  shall additionally identify the  extent  to  which  the  office's  prior
     7  recommendations  have  been successfully implemented in practice and the
     8  apparent impact that the implementation of such recommended changes  has
     9  had  on  racial and ethnic disparities in jury selection pools and juror
    10  selection in the preceding years.
    11    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    12  have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
    13  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    14  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    15  on or before such date.