CT Bill Would Allow More Black, Hispanic People On Juries

CONNECTICUT — Proposed legislation would eliminate the wait for people with felony convictions from serving on a jury and allow legal permanent residents who don’t have citizenship to serve on juries as well. The proposal was made by a judicial task force charged with finding ways to address racial bias in juries.

The legislation was endorsed by state Chief Justice Richard Robinson.

“I’ve completed a preliminary review of the report, and the recommendations are excellent and extensive,” he said in a statement. “At this point, I anticipate implementing many of them, and I believe they will have a profound effect on our ability to ensure fair and impartial justice for all. In fact, we have already filed legislation to get things rolling.”

People with felony convictions typically have to wait seven years before they can serve on a jury. Eliminating the wait would increase the pool of Black jurors, while the provision to allow legal permanent residents to serve on juries would increase the pool of Hispanic jurors, according to a summary of the bill.

The bill would also change how jurors are compensated. Unemployed or part-time jurors would be paid the minimum wage and reimbursed for travel and family care. Full-time employees who aren’t compensated by their employer after the fifth day of service would be paid the minimum wage instead of the current $50 per day. If passed, it would be the first time since 2007 that juror compensation was changed.

A task force was created in 2019 by the state Supreme Court to study racial discrimination in the selection of juries. The task forced was headed by retired state Chief Justice Chase Rogers and Superior Court Judge Omar Williams.

The proposed legislation would also allow for the selection of a representative part of the population for jury duty and send a jury summons to the same zip code if one is found to be undeliverable.

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