BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That chapter 16-13 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Section 2. That § 16-13-2.1 be amended to read as follows:
16-13-2.1. For the purposes of this chapter, the board of jury selectors shall be the clerk of the circuit court, the chairman of the board of county commissioners, and the county auditor, or if there be no person holding any one or more of such offices in the county, the presiding circuit judge shall designate a person to fill the vacancy. If a jury district has been formed, the clerk of the circuit court, the chairman of the board of county commissioners, and the county auditor from each county within the jury district constitutes the board of jury selectors.
Section 3. That § 16-13-10 be amended to read as follows:
16-13-10. All citizens of this state, who are residents of the county or jury district where the jury is selected, eighteen years of age or older prior to January first of the year of jury service, of sound mind and who are able to read, write, and understand the English language, are eligible to serve as jurors. Justices or clerks of the Supreme Court or a judge of the circuit court or any court of the United States, or a court of limited jurisdiction, or licensed attorneys are not eligible to serve as jurors. Clergymen as defined in § 19-13-16 if jury service conflicts with their
religious beliefs may be exempt from jury duty. Persons who have been convicted of a felony
unless restored to their civil rights are not eligible to serve as jurors. Potential jurors may not
be excluded from jury duty on the basis of a visual or hearing impairment.
Section
4.
That
§
16-13-15
be amended to read as follows:
16-13-15.
The board of jury selectors shall ascertain whether each of the persons on the
master juror list has the qualifications of a juror as provided by
§
16-13-10 from the information
available to them from records of the county or other readily available sources, or has served
as a juror within two years. A person has served as a juror if that person has been summoned
and appeared for a trial. If, from examination of the master juror lists, it appears that any person
listed thereon does not have the qualifications to serve as a juror or has served as a juror within
two preceding years, the board of jury selectors shall strike such name from the list and draw
another in its place. If the master list is selected electronically, the board shall adjust the number
to be drawn to allow for the elimination of the names of those disqualified.
Section 5. That § 16-13-18.3 be amended to read as follows:
16-13-18.3. The presiding judge of each circuit shall administer and enforce the jury selection provisions of this chapter. Such judge may vary the terms of the random selection process to meet local conditions in any county or jury district in the circuit if such changes are consistent with the terms of this chapter. Such changes shall be reduced to writing, approved
by the Supreme Court pursuant to
§
16-13-18.2 and filed with the clerk of the court in any
county affected by the changes with the other materials required to be preserved by
§
16-13-31.1.
Section
6.
That
§
16-13-22
be amended to read as follows:
16-13-22.
The presiding judge of each circuit, or a judge of the circuit court designated by
the presiding judge, shall issue an order prior to October first of each year to the clerk of courts
that a petit jury for the county or jury district be selected. The order shall specify the total
number of jurors to be selected, the number of panels or sections of the panels into which the
number of jurors are to be arranged, and the period of time of service during the year for each
panel or section. The names shall be selected for each panel or section by lot as provided in
§
16-13-27.
An Act to provide for jury districts.
I certify that the attached Act originated in the
SENATE as
Bill
No.
90
|
Secretary of the Senate
President of the Senate
Secretary of the Senate
____________________________
Speaker of the House
Chief Clerk
File No. ____
Chapter No. ______
Received at this Executive Office this ____ day of _____________ ,
19___ at _____ M.
for the Governor
The attached Act is hereby
approved this ________ day of
______________ , A.D., 19___
Governor
STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA,
Filed ____________ , 19___
at _________ o'clock __ M.
Secretary of State
By _________________________
Asst. Secretary of State