PRINTER'S NO. 3662
No. 740 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY MANDERINO, MAHER, BEAR, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BISHOP,
BOBACK, BRENNAN, COHEN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DiGIROLAMO,
DONATUCCI, FLECK, FRANKEL, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GIBBONS,
GINGRICH, GRUCELA, HARPER, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY,
HORNAMAN, JAMES, KENNEY, KORTZ, MAJOR, MANTZ,
McILVAINE SMITH, MELIO, MILLARD, MOUL, MUNDY, MUSTIO,
PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PETRI, RAMALEY, READSHAW, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, D. O'BRIEN,
ROCK, GEORGE, MOYER, SIPTROTH, McILHATTAN, CALTAGIRONE AND
WATSON, MAY 2, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 2, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of May 4 through May 10, 2008, as "Juror
2 Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, For more than 200 years, Americans have benefited
4 from the protection offered by the right to trial by jury
5 guaranteed by the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the
6 United States and by sections 6 and 9 of Article I of the
7 Constitution of Pennsylvania; and
8 WHEREAS, Since William Penn's Charter of Liberty was enacted
9 in 1682, the jury has acted as an unbiased finder of truth and
10 the most elemental representative body of all citizens and thus
11 has played a pivotal role in balancing the scales of justice,
12 equalizing the rights of the poor and powerless with the
13 privileges of the rich and powerful, nullifying unjust laws,
1 securing other allowed rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights
2 and, most importantly, extending and preserving democracy; and
3 WHEREAS, Every year over 66,055 Pennsylvanians serve as
4 jurors in both civil and criminal trials; and
5 WHEREAS, Only when citizens support the jury system and
6 appear when summoned can this pillar of our democracy fully
7 protect the rights of all citizens; therefore be it
8 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the week of May 4 through
9 May 10, 2008, as "Juror Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.
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