Lawmakers in California have passed legislation to install diversity in juries that they believe are unfairly mostly “white” and “wealthier.”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the effort, said to be inspired by the desire “to Make California’s juries look more like the people:”
The Senate voted 30-5 on Monday night to give final legislative approval to SB592 by state Sen. Scott Wiener. It would expand California’s pool of potential jurors by drawing candidates from among everyone who files income tax returns.
Currently, California draws courtroom panels that decide criminal cases and lawsuits largely from residents who are registered to vote or have a driver’s license or identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Supporters of the bill say people of color and poorer residents are less likely to register to vote or drive a car, leaving the pool overstocked with white jurors who are better-off financially.
The Chronicle cited statistics that show 56 percent of eligible Latino voters don’t vote and 64 percent of people who make a salary less than $40,000 don’t vote as a reason for the new law.
“Our current jury pool is whiter and wealthier then our state is,” Democrat State Sen. Scott Wiener said in a statement. “Right now, we are denying people the right to a true jury of their peers, because our juries are not demographically representative.” The Chronicle reported:
He said the state’s tax-filing database includes a broader universe of people, including those who claim the earned-income tax credit, an assistance program for low-income filers. ‘Advocates of criminal-justice reform say Californians, particularly African Americans, are often denied their constitutional right to a trial by a jury of peers because their cases are decided by unrepresentative juries.”
SB529 now is in the hands of Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until September 30 to decide whether to sign it.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter