§ 52-1-7a — Alternate procedure for selection of jury by electronic data processing methods

Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary, the court may, after conferring with the clerk and documenting in writing the methods to be used, with such documentation to be approved by the chief judge, direct the use of electronic data processing methods, or a combination of manual and machine methods, for any combination of the following tasks:

(a) Recording in machine readable form names that are initially selected manually from source lists authorized by this article.

(b) Copying of names from source lists authorized by this article from any counties or other sources that maintain those lists in machine readable form such as punched cards, magnetic tapes or magnetic discs.

(c) Selecting names from source lists for inclusion in the jury list.

(d) Selecting names from the jury list for the list of jurors summoned to attend at any term of court.

(e) Sorting or alphabetizing lists of names, deleting duplicate selections of names and deleting names of persons exempt, disqualified or excused from jury service.

(f) Selecting and copying names for the creation of any papers, records or correspondence necessary to recruit, select and pay jurors and for other clerical tasks.

If the court elects to use electronic machine methods for any tasks described above, the selection system shall be planned and programmed in order to ensure that any group of names chosen will represent all segments of source files from which drawn and that the mathematical odds of any single name being picked are substantially equal.

When machine methods for jury selection are employed, both the jury list and the jury list as recorded in machine readable form shall be safely kept in a secure location with the office of the clerk of the circuit court.

Legislative History

1993 Reg. Sess., SB358; 1992 Reg. Sess., HB4713; 1988 Reg. Sess., SB331