BILL ANALYSIS
By: Wentworth
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, petit juror and grand juror qualifications are not in line with other state statutes. Statutes governing all other jurors, whether grand jurors or petit jurors in criminal cases, already disqualify a person who has been convicted of misdemeanor theft. S.B. 451 conforms the qualifications for all grand jurors and petit jurors in civil and criminal cases to exclude persons who have been convicted of a misdemeanor theft, and makes the language of the statutory provisions governing petit and grand jurors gender neutral.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
The bill makes gender neutral the juror qualification provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The bill also provides for the disqualification of a person to serve as a petit juror if the person has been convicted of misdemeanor theft.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005