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HB 39 - Jury duty exemptions; certain students; certain caregivers

Walker, Larry (141st)	Martin, Jim (47th)	Murphy, Thomas B (18th)
Smith, Larry (109th)	Buck, III, Thomas B (135th)	Benefield, Jimmy W (96th)

Status Summary	HC:	Judy	SC:	Judy	FR:	01/12/99	LA:	05/01/00	Signed by Governor

First Reader Summary

A BILL to amend Code Section 15-21-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from jury duty, so as to provide for the exemption from jury duty of any person who is a full-time student at a college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary school and who requests an exemption; to provide for the exemption from jury duty of any person who is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child under two years of age; and for other purposes.

HB 39                                                HB 39/AP 
 
      H. B. No. 39 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) 
      By:  Representatives Walker of the 141st, Martin of the 
      47th, Murphy of the 18th, Smith of the 109th, Buck of the 
      135th and others 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Code Section 15-12-1 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from jury duty, so 
  1- 3  as to provide for excusing or deferring from jury duty any 
  1- 4  person who is a full-time student at a college, university, 
  1- 5  vocational school, or other postsecondary school and who 
  1- 6  requests to be excused or deferred; to provide for excusing 
  1- 7  or deferring from jury duty any person who is the primary 
  1- 8  caregiver having active care and custody of a child under 
  1- 9  four years of age; to provide for the length of such excuses 
  1-10  or deferrals from jury duty; to provide for affidavits; to 
  1-11  repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-12       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-13                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-14  Code Section 15-12-1 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-15  Annotated, relating to exemptions from jury duty, is amended 
  1-16  by striking subsection (a) of said Code section and 
  1-17  inserting in its place the following: 
 
  1-18      "(a)(1) Any person who shows that he or she will be 
  1-19      engaged during his or her term of jury duty in work 
  1-20      necessary to the public  health, safety, or good order 
  1-21      or who shows other good cause why he or she should be 
  1-22      exempt from jury duty may be excused by the judge of the 
  1-23      court to which he or she has been summoned or by some 
  1-24      other person who has been duly appointed by order of the 
  1-25      chief judge to excuse jurors. Such a person may exercise 
  1-26      such authority only after the establishment by court 
  1-27      order of guidelines governing excuses.  Any order of 
  1-28      appointment shall provide that, except for permanently 
  1-29      mentally or physically disabled persons, all excuses 
  1-30      shall be deferred to a date and time certain within that 
  1-31      term or the next succeeding term or shall be deferred as 
  1-32      set forth in the court order. 
 
  1-33      (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, 
  1-34      any person who is a full-time student at a college, 
 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1      university, vocational school, or other postsecondary 
  2- 2      school who, during the period of time the student is 
  2- 3      enrolled and taking classes or exams, requests to be 
  2- 4      excused or deferred from jury duty shall be excused or 
  2- 5      deferred from jury duty. 
 
  2- 6      (3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, 
  2- 7      any person who is the primary caregiver having active 
  2- 8      care and custody of a child under four years of age, who 
  2- 9      executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court 
  2-10      stating that such person is the primary caregiver having 
  2-11      active care and custody of a child under four years of 
  2-12      age and stating that such person has no reasonably 
  2-13      available alternative child care, and who requests to be 
  2-14      excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from 
  2-15      jury duty.  It shall be the duty of the court to provide 
  2-16      affidavits for the purpose of this subsection." 
 
  2-17                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2-18  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  2-19  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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