§ 9-9-1.1 — § 9-9-1.1. Qualifications of jurors.

§ 9-9-1.1. Qualifications of jurors.

(a) A person is qualified to serve as a juror if the person is:

(1) A citizen of the United States;

(2) A resident of Rhode Island who either:

(i) Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote; or

(ii) Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or

(iii) Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3-8-6 and 3-8-6.1; or

(iv) Is an individual filing a state income tax return; or

(v) Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation;

(3) At least 18 years of age;

(4) Able to understand and participate in the court proceedings; and

(5) Physically and mentally capable of performing in a reasonable manner the duties of a juror.

(b) No person shall be allowed to serve as a juror if he or she has been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos mentis, or is serving a sentence of confinement at a correctional facility as a consequence of a felony conviction.

(c) [Deleted by P.L. 2023, ch. 367, § 1 and P.L. 2023, ch. 368, § 1.]

(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(4) and (5), a person with a disability shall not be ineligible to serve as a juror solely on the basis of the person's disability, and if that person meets the above requirements, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, the person shall be deemed a qualified juror.

(e) Nothing in this section shall prevent the court from disqualifying a prospective juror because the prospective juror lacks a faculty or has a disability which will prevent the potential juror from being a competent juror in a particular case.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a party's right to preemptorially challenge jurors.

Legislative History

P.L. 1990, ch. 328, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 71, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 8; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 8; P.L. 2003, ch. 430, § 1; P.L. 2023, ch. 367, § 1, effective June 27, 2023; P.L. 2023, ch. 368, § 1, effective June 27, 2023.