The Kentucky Senate has approved legislation that would increase the number of people available for jury duty across the commonwealth.
Senate Bill 132 would add people with state-issued personal identification cards to a pool of potential jurors and it passed the Senate on a 35-0-vote.
Senator Robby Mills of Henderson says the idea of expanding the pool of potential jurors has been studied for years, but the time was right to act. That’s because another piece of legislation advancing through the General Assembly this session would provide a free state-issued ID card for individuals who are at least 18 and do not have a valid driver’s license. It currently costs $30 for that ID.
The administrative arm of the Kentucky Court of Justice compiles a county-by-county master list of prospective jurors for the entire state. Currently, it draws from people with driver’s licenses, tax rolls from individual returns and voter registration lists.
By law, a person summoned to jury service is required to be available for 30 court days. However, once a jury begins hearing a case, the jury will remain seated for the duration of that case.
Senate Bill 132 now heads to the House for consideration.