CA Moves to Ditch Citizenship Req. for Jury Duty

[PegLeg45]

California Moves to Ditch Citizenship Requirement for Jury Duty

The California State Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to remove the requirement in state law that jurors be U.S. citizens.

The bill, AB 1401, passed the state assembly with 45 votes in favor and 25 votes in opposition and now goes to the state senate.

The legislation allows the jury pool to be extended to "lawfully present immigrants." Potential jurors are pulled from state Department of Motor Vehicles records. The bill does not drop the requirement that would-be jurors speak English.

[READ: Anti-Amnesty Group Threatens New GOP Tone on Immigration]

"You are not required to be a citizen to participate in the judicial process as a party, as a witness, to work for the courts or even be a judge," said Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo, one of seven authors of the bill, the Sacramento Bee reports. "It's only a requirement to be a juror. It's not a requirement to be a citizen to serve in the military, either."

Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly objected to the bill, saying, according to the Bee: "We can't completely erase the distinction between being a citizen and not. ... There are certain requirements and responsibilities of being a citizen, and jury duty is one of those."

If passed, the legislation would make California the first state in the country to allow non-citizens on juries, according to The Associated Press.

http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/04/26/california-moves-to-ditch-citizenship-requirement-for-jury-duty

[MikeBjerum]

WTF???

Trial by a jury of your peers is a protected right.  If you are not here legally - TOUGH!  This is the United States, and we the people can fulfill our responsibilities to keep it a nation of the people, by the people and for the people!

[jnevis]

I think this is one of the dumbest things CA has done in the recent past, but read it again.  It says LEGALLY present, not illegals/undocumented or whatever.  Given their past history though, I wouldn't be surprised if they change it again to include illegals eventually.

and my parents wonder why I'm never moving back to CA.

[Solus]

You can be a legal alien and reside in the USA for life.

My grandfather immigrated in 1905 and became a legal alien resident and never became a citizen.

He died in 1972.

My grandmother, who immigrated and became a citizen, lost her citizenship when she married my grandfather.

Because you are not a citizen does not mean you are here illegally.

Neither one could vote because they were not citizens.

My grandmother was not please to have lost her citizenship.

[MikeBjerum]

True Solus, but if you want full participation you can join the movement.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

They've ditched the citizenship requirement for everything else, including POTUS, why not jury duty too ?

[Timothy]

Citizenship is a requirement here in MA.  It's also one of the most important things we can do as citizens. 

Things some are not aware of can be found here;  http://fija.org/  Juries have immense power, even over the presiding judge...

[Solus]

True Solus, but if you want full participation you can join the movement.

Oh sure...wasn't supporting the action..just wanted to point out that not being a citizen did not imply being here illegally or without "papers"

And I don't think it would be a bad thing for those born here as citizens to take the naturalization course and  have to pass the test to gain full citizenship rights.

A naturalized citizen has shown more desire to be a citizen and has learned more about our country and heritage than the majority of kids in our schools today.

[Pathfinder]

I think this is one of the dumbest things CA has done in the recent past, but read it again.  It says LEGALLY present, not illegals/undocumented or whatever.  Given their past history though, I wouldn't be surprised if they change it again to include illegals eventually.

and my parents wonder why I'm never moving back to CA.

Actually, I think the clause stated is total BS. The next part of the article says the jury pool will be drawn from the DMV rolls, and IIRC, it is illegal in CA to get any information about someone's status in this country. Therefore, the status info is not recorded, cannot be filtered when they pull  it, and thus illegals WILL be on the juries once the bill passes and Moonbeam signs it.

As for the English-speaking only part, well, that is just racist and one court decision away from being tossed out. And ther libtards in the CA legislature know it full well. It's a sop and a gimme - a sop to get the law passed, and a gimme once it is.

[Frosty]

Good Ol'Komifornia, This latest movement is right up there with Komifornia coming up with the homeless bill of rights. They are one state that is out of control & glad I don't reside there, Colorado is following there lead though.