Amended in Assembly April 9, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1708

Introduced by Assembly Member Alejo

February 13, 2014

An act to amend Section 219 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to jurors.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1708, as amended, Alejo. Jurors: peace officer exemption.

Existing law excludes certain peace officers from voir dire in civil and criminal matters, and other specified peace officers from voir dire in criminal matters.

This bill would exclude additional peace officers, including certain parole officers, probation officers, deputy probation officers, board coordinating parole agents, correctional officers, transportation officers of a probation department, and other employees of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Department of begin delete Mental Health end delete begin insert State Hospitals end insert , and the Board of Parole Hearings, from voir dire in begin delete civil and end delete criminal matters.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 219 of the Code of Civil Procedure is
amended to read:

219.  

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the jury
commissioner shall randomly select jurors for jury panels to be
sent to courtrooms for voir dire.

(b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a peace officer, as
defined in Section 830.1, subdivision (a) of Section 830.2, begin insert or end insert
subdivision (a) of Section 830.33 begin delete , or subdivision (a) or (b) of
Section 830.5 end delete of the Penal Code, shall not be selected for voir dire
in civil or criminal matters.

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a peace officer, as defined
in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section begin delete 830.2 end delete begin insert 830.2, or subdivision (a)
or (b) of Section 830.5 end insert of the Penal Code, shall not be selected for
voir dire in criminal matters.