PRINTER'S NO. 2817
No. 2107 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY PIPPY, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF, CAPPELLI, CLARK,
CREIGHTON, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, FLEAGLE, GEIST, GEORGE,
HALUSKA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, MAHER, McCALL,
McILHATTAN, METCALFE, PALLONE, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SAYLOR,
SHANER, STERN AND T. STEVENSON, OCTOBER 31, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, OCTOBER 31, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for
3 qualification of jurors.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 4502 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 4502. Qualifications of jurors.
9 (a) General rule.--Every citizen of this Commonwealth who is
10 of the required minimum age for voting for State or local
11 officials and who resides in the county shall be qualified to
12 serve as a juror therein unless such citizen:
13 (1) is unable to read, write, speak and understand the
14 English language;
15 (2) is incapable, by reason of mental or physical
16 infirmity, to render efficient jury service; or
17 (3) has been convicted of a crime punishable by
1 imprisonment for more than one year and has not been granted
2 a pardon or amnesty therefor.
3 (b) Removal of grounds for disqualification.--A person who
4 has been disqualified under subsection (a)(3) may make
5 application to the court of common pleas of the county where the
6 principal residence of the applicant is situated for removal of
7 the grounds for disqualification. The court shall grant such
8 relief if it determines that all of the following apply:
9 (1) The conviction was for a nonviolent misdemeanor
10 offense.
11 (2) The applicant has no other misdemeanor or felony
12 convictions under the laws of this Commonwealth or similar
13 convictions under Federal law or the laws of any other state.
14 (3) A period of ten years, not including any time spent
15 in incarceration, has elapsed since the applicant's
16 conviction for the nonviolent misdemeanor offense.
17 (4) No other good reason exists to deny the removal of
18 the grounds for disqualification.
19 (c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term
20 "nonviolent misdemeanor offense" includes, but is not limited
21 to, any offense graded as a misdemeanor that does not:
22 (1) involve an attempt to put another in fear of bodily
23 injury;
24 (2) result in bodily injury; or
25 (3) involve the use of a firearm or other prohibited
26 offensive weapon.
27 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
I28L42DMS/20010H2107B2817 - 2 -