PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 3561
No. 2593 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, TRELLO, FAIRCHILD, M. N. WRIGHT, JOSEPHS,
LAUGHLIN, GEORGE, HARHAI, BROWNE, SCRIMENTI, EVANS, BELARDI,
BELFANTI, ROBINSON, WOJNAROSKI, GIGLIOTTI, SERAFINI, ITKIN,
FORCIER, MANDERINO, STABACK, STEELMAN, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO,
McCALL, SANTONI, DeLUCA, KIRKLAND, RAMOS, LEDERER, JAMES,
OLASZ, M. COHEN AND MAHER, MAY 6, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MAY 6, 1998
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania,
2 authorizing jurors to make notes during the course of a trial
3 and authorizing the presiding judge to provide jurors with a
4 copy of all or a portion of the judge's instructions to the
5 jury.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby resolves as follows:
8 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
9 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
10 That Article V be amended by adding a section to read:
11 § 19. Notes by and instructions to jurors.
12 Nothing in this article shall prohibit a juror from making
13 written notes during the trial to refresh the juror's memory of
14 the trial during the jury's deliberations; nor shall a judge be
15 prohibited from making available to the jurors a copy or copies
16 of the judge's instructions for use during the jury's
17 deliberations.
1 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
2 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
3 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
4 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
5 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
6 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
7 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
8 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
9 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
10 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
11 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
12 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
13 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
14 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
15 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
16 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
17 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
18 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
19 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three
20 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by
21 the General Assembly which meets the requirements of and is in
22 conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of
23 Pennsylvania.
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