SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

New York City
Wednesday
December 10, 2008
10:00 am
Assembly Hearing Room
250 Broadway
Room 1923, 19th Floor
New York, New York

To examine the need to expand and update source lists from which jury pools are created to ensure that they are representative of the communities from which they are drawn and to examine the benefits of retaining demographic data on jury pool participation.

Please see the reverse side for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony, and for a description of the bills which will be discussed at the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committees at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be by invitation only and will be limited to ten minutes duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committees would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committees' interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

1. The need to expand source lists from which prospective jurors are drawn by the commissioner of jurors to include, for example, both income and property taxpayers, persons receiving student aid assistance, persons receiving the senior citizen rent increase exemption, persons receiving workers compensation, and persons subscribing to telephone and cable television services.

2. To require the commissioner of jurors to update these lists quarterly in order to have a more accurate list to draw from in communities which experience more transient residency patterns.

3. The need for a requirement that the commissioner of jurors collect and report demographic data on jury pool participation based on race, religion, ethnicity, age and sex, in order to provide the courts and policymakers a more accurate picture of jury pools and whether they are representative of the communities residing in the particular jurisdiction.

4. The need for additional efforts to contact potential jurors beyond current law.

5. The provisions set forth in A.11433 (Lancman, Jeffries).

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Jury Pool Diversity are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail, e-mail or fax it to:

Clayton Rivet
Team Counsel
Assembly Committees on Judiciary And Codes
Suite 1147 - Al Smith Building
Albany, New York 12248
E-mail: rivetc@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4313
Fax: (518) 455-3669

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