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At the request
of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
Representatives Jenee' Lowe and Danielle Moore introduced HB 500 on
2/18/03. If passed, that bill would change the law regarding who can
serve as a petit or grand juror in Missouri courts.
Current Missouri law says that a person is
"disqualified from serving as a petit or grand juror" if that person
is "unable to read, speak and understand the English language." This
law clearly discriminates against a variety of disabled persons,
including blind persons who cannot "read," persons who were born
deaf and never learned to "speak," and persons who have had their
vocal chords or larynx damaged in an accident and can no longer
"speak." This provision of the law also clearly violates the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
HB 500 would change the law to disqualify a person
from serving on a jury only if they were "unable to communicate
effectively in English with or without auxiliary aids and services."
This would allow blind persons to serve on juries with the aid of
readers, deaf persons to serve on juries with the aid of
interpreters, and so forth.
HB 500 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee
and will have a public hearing next Wednesday, March 19, at 12:00
noon in House Hearing Room # 1. Advocates who would like to see HB
500 become law are urged to testify at the hearing if they can. And
if not, you can submit written testimony to the chair of the
committee, Representative Richard Byrd [573-522-9288 (FAX) or
E-Mail:
rbyrd@mail.state.mo.us]. You might also contact any of the
members of the committee and urge them to support HB 500. Contact
information for all committee members is as follows: |
