Can Of Worms I Want Opened
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 03:01AM CHAPTER 500-A
JURORS
Section 500-A:1
500-A:1 Definitions. – In this chapter:
I. "Clerk'' means the clerk of the superior court in each county or judicial district or any of his deputies.
II. "Court'' means the superior court and regional jury trial courts.
III. "Department'' means the New Hampshire department of safety.
IV. "Master jury list'' means the list blended and compiled by the administrative office of the courts from the voter lists and from the official record of persons who hold a current New Hampshire driver's license or a department of safety identification card, which shall be provided to the office by the department.
V. "Office'' means the administrative office of the courts.
VI. "Voter lists'' means the official record of persons registered to vote in the most recent state general election and town lists, which are the combined and alphabetically arranged lists prepared by the selectmen and city wards for their respective jurisdictions made up of all adults listed on the voter registration lists, and provided to the office by the selectmen and city wards.
Source.1971, 456:10. 1981, 527:2. 1992, 38:1. 1995, 277:13. 1998, 237:1, 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1999.
CHAPTER 500-A
JURORS
Section 500-A:4
500-A:4 Prohibition of Discrimination. – A citizen of this state shall not be excluded from jury service on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or economic status.
Source.1971, 456:10. 1981, 527:2, eff. Aug. 28, 1981.
CHAPTER 500-A
JURORS
Section 500-A:6
500-A:6 Juror Qualification Form. –
I. When ordered to do so by the court, the clerk shall draw at random from the master jury list the names or identifying numbers of as many prospective jurors as the court by order requires. The names or identifying numbers of prospective jurors may be chosen either by random drawing or by computer on a random basis. The clerk shall prepare an alphabetical list of the names drawn. The names drawn on the list may be disclosed only to persons authorized to see the list under this chapter or upon specific order of the court. The addresses of jurors shall not be disclosed, except to counsel, a pro se party examining juror qualification forms, or otherwise in accordance with court rule.
II. The clerk shall mail to every prospective juror whose name is drawn from the master list a juror qualification form, accompanied by instructions to fill out and return the form by mail to the clerk within 10 days after its receipt.
III. The clerk shall prepare the juror qualification form, subject to approval by the court. The juror qualification form shall:
(a) Include the name, address and age of the prospective juror;
(b) Require the prospective juror to specify if he is:
(1) A citizen of the United States and a resident of the county;
(2) Able to read, speak and understand the English language;
(3) Subject to any physical or mental disability which would impair the prospective juror's capacity to render satisfactory jury service; or
(4) A convicted felon whose conviction has not been annulled or whose conviction is not eligible for annulment under New Hampshire law; and
(c) Contain the prospective juror's declaration that his responses are true to the best of his knowledge and his acknowledgment that a willful misrepresentation of a material fact may be punishable as a misdemeanor under the laws of this state.
IV. Notarization of the juror qualification form shall not be required.
V. If the prospective juror is unable to fill out the form, another person may do it for him. If another person fills out the form, he shall indicate that he has done so and why he has done so.
VI. If it appears there is an omission, ambiguity, or error in a return form, the clerk shall again send the form with instructions to the prospective juror to make the necessary addition, clarification, or correction and return the form to the clerk within 10 days after receipt of these instructions.
Source.1971, 456:10. 1981, 527:2. 1992, 38:3. 1998, 237:4, 6. 2009, 244:1, eff. July 16, 2009.
In an effort to allow non-resident voters on our voter lists one last time, Judge Lewis and the ACLU, working for The League of Women Voters have decided that we have two types of NH voter in our state.
One voter has a drivers license from somewhere else, where they have sworn to be a legal resident, and one who follows the law here - you and me.
Oh, and one other fly in the ointment.
I had to serve on a jury back in January and February of this year and I noticed something strange. There were no college age people in the mix of a hundred people or so. So I asked around. The lowest age I found was 23. How could that be?
Thank you Judge Lewis for opening the door to how NH really picks who serves on a jury because I beleive lawyers in a case about voter registration and jury selection could ask Secretary of State Bill Gardner and the Court about that in a motion for discovery.
Pay attention, NH voters!!!!
Reader Comments (6)
– C. dog
Did you know NH lost a civil rights case back in the eighties, if I recall, regarding NOT ENOUGH YOUNGSTERS ON JURIES?
That is why we use drivers licenses to draw for juries now!
And I think the system is rigged to exclude non-resident voters.
Whaddda you think dog?
– C. dog
Hmmm...oddly enough, the NHACLU and the LOWV couldn't find any minorities or old people to file suit. Hpmh! I wonder why that is...
By preventing elderly people from voting, do you mean what Steve MacDonald wrote about where an elderly NH resident (legimate resident), gets a phone call asking who they intend to vote for in Nov. If they say Romney, they are told their "vote" has been recorded and they do not have to go to the poll in Nov.