Senate Bill S5574

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to prohibiting certain discriminatory peremptory challenges to prospective jurors

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2023-S5574 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6870
Current Committee:
Assembly Codes
Law Section:
Criminal Procedure Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §270.25, CP L

2023-S5574 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits peremptory challenges of prospective jurors based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

2023-S5574 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5574 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5574
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to prohibiting
   peremptory challenges of prospective  jurors  based  on  race,  color,
   national  origin,  ancestry,  gender,  gender  identity or expression,
   religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision 1 of section 270.25 of the criminal procedure
 law is amended to read as follows:
   1. A peremptory challenge is an objection to a prospective  juror  for
 which  no reason need be assigned. Upon any LAWFUL peremptory challenge,
 the court must exclude the person challenged from service.
   § 2. Section 270.25 of the criminal procedure law is amended to add  a
 new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
   4.  (A)  A  PARTY  SHALL  NOT  USE  A PEREMPTORY CHALLENGE TO REMOVE A
 PROSPECTIVE JUROR ON THE BASIS OF SUCH  JUROR'S  RACE,  COLOR,  NATIONAL
 ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, RELIGION, RELI-
 GIOUS PRACTICE, AGE, DISABILITY, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
   (B)  A  PARTY MAY OBJECT TO THE IMPROPER USE OF A PEREMPTORY CHALLENGE
 IF SUCH PARTY BELIEVES THAT SUCH CHALLENGE WAS MADE ON AN UNLAWFUL BASIS
 IN VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION. AFTER SUCH  OBJECTION
 IS  MADE, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION SHALL BE CONDUCTED OUTSIDE THE PRESENCE
 OF THE PANEL. THE OBJECTION SHALL BE MADE BEFORE THE JURY IS  IMPANELED,
 UNLESS  INFORMATION  BECOMES  KNOWN  THAT COULD NOT HAVE REASONABLY BEEN
 KNOWN BEFORE THE JURY WAS IMPANELED.
   (C) UPON THE OBJECTION MADE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, THE PARTY EXERCISING THE  PEREMPTORY  CHALLENGE  SHALL  STATE  THE
 REASONS FOR EXERCISING SUCH CHALLENGE TO THE COURT.
   (D)  THE COURT SHALL EVALUATE THE REASONS GIVEN TO JUSTIFY THE PEREMP-
 TORY CHALLENGE IN LIGHT OF THE TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE  COURT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10065-01-3
              

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