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Posted May
25, 2004
Jury Eligibility for Persons Who Are Deaf |
| The Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing is pleased to announce that one of its priorities for the
2004 legislative session was successfully achieved. At the request
of MCDHH, Representative Danielle Moore of Fulton introduced HB 1213
on 1/22/04. HB 1213 would have allowed deaf persons to serve on
petit and grand juries in Missouri with auxiliary aids and services.
HB 1213 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and had a
public hearing on 3/3/04. HB 1213 was voted “Do Pass” by the House
Judiciary Committee, but it was never reported out of that
committee. In other words, HB 1213 DIED IN COMMITTEE. However, the
relevant content of HB 1213 was incorporated into an omnibus
judicial bill (SB 1211) by Representative Richard Byrd. SB 1211
basically removes the disqualification from serving on petit and
grand juries in Missouri if a person is unable to read, speak and
understand the English language when their "inability is due to a
vision or hearing impairment which can be adequately compensated for
through the use of auxiliary aids or services." In essence, persons
who are deaf will no longer be barred from serving on petit and
grand juries simply because they do not "speak." SB 1211 finally
passed on the next to the last day of the legislative session
(5/13/04). Therefore, assuming that the Governor signs SB 1211,
MCDHH will have succeeded in getting one of our legislative
priorities enacted into law this year. We wish it were more, but at
least this removes a major legal impediment stopping some deaf
persons from serving on petit and grand juries in Missouri. |
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For more information about legislation/issues,
contact
MCDHH@mcdhh.mo.gov
This report is being posted by the Missouri Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
05-25-04 |
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