Jury Reformation Act
Preamble: To reform and better protect jury proceedings.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE STATE OF FIRESTONE CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
SECTION 1A: The Firestone Criminal Code shall be defined as this board established by this Act.
SECTION 1B: A Bill to Institute Jury Reform shall be defined as this bill and shall be declared null and void.
SECTION 2A: Judges and Justices are tasked with retaining and maintaining the database established by Section 1 of A Bill to Institute Jury Reform to the best of their abilities in accordance with this Act. “Juror’s records” created on the basis of A Bill to Institute Jury Reform for jurors who served on a trial which concluded before this Act’s enactment must be reasonably retained in line with the bill’s original purposes.
SECTION 2B.1: The database must include a reasonably accurate juror record of each juror who is serving or did serve on any trial or part of a trial which took place after this Act’s enactment. Juror records must – insofar it is possible – include:
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Juror’s username;
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Case name;
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“Case number” if present;
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Date(s) of trial;
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Date(s) of deliberations; and
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Verdict(s) of case or whether or not the case was dismissed.
SECTION 2B.2: If the juror was head juror, this must be noted on the juror record. If the juror left before concluding deliberations, this and whether or not the juror was excused must be noted on the juror record. If the juror was dismissed before concluding deliberations, this and the reason for dismissal must be noted on the juror record.
SECTION 3A: The database must be private and sealed from the general public. The following shall be granted inherent access to the database:
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Judges and Justices;
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The Attorney General; and
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Anyone employed within the Department of Justice or the Bureau of Investigation authorized to access the database by the Attorney General.
SECTION 3B: Judges and Justices may, if absolutely necessary, unseal and disclose juror records and other parts of the database only if probable cause exists that such could prove unlawful or unethical conduct.
SECTION 4A: The speech and conduct of any juror in deliberations which relates to the deliberations must be private and sealed from the general public if the deliberations commenced after this Act’s enactment. Only Judges and Justices – as well as other entities or persons which out of practical necessity are given overwhelming viewing rights – shall be granted inherent access to such. In deliberations, jurors must not edit, delete, or tamper with any message; if such occurs, the respective Judge or Justice must be informed and must take all means necessary to prevent further dissemination of sealed speech or conduct.
SECTION 4B: The Attorney General may receive information regarding speech or conduct of any juror in deliberations which relates to the deliberations; such information and its implications must be kept private. However, only a Judge or Justice – related or unrelated to the case – may, if absolutely necessary, fully unseal and disclose speech or conduct of a juror in deliberations which relates to the deliberations only if probable cause exists that such could prove unlawful or unethical conduct. Special consideration must be shown towards the identities of innocent jurors and the broadness of unsealing.
SECTION 5: Chapter 6, Section 19 shall be established in the Firestone Criminal Code and shall be titled “§19 - Unlawful Handling of Jury Information”.
SECTION 5A: Chapter 6, Section 19 of the Firestone Criminal Code shall state:
”(a) Mishandling Jury Information shall be recognized as an unlawful criminal offense within the State of Firestone.
(a1) Mishandling Jury Information shall be the act of unlawfully and intentionally disclosing, disseminating, or distributing:
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A juror record (or “juror’s record” created on the basis of A Bill to Institute Jury Reform) or any information obtained therefrom; or
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Information relating to the speech or conduct of any juror in deliberations which relates to the deliberations if the deliberations commenced after the Jury Reformation Act’s enactment
to any person except to a Judge or Justice, a juror on the same trial, or the Attorney General without compelling justification.”
SECTION 5B: Chapter 6, Section 19 of the Firestone Criminal Code shall be classed as a Class B Felony and shall be labeled as a “COURTS ONLY” offense. Any person found to be in violation of Chapter 6, Section 19 of the Firestone Criminal Code shall, upon conviction in a court of law, be subject to the penalties prescribed for a Class B Felony.
SECTION 6A: In voir dire, in addition to other legal requirements, prospective jurors must:
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Confirm that they irrevocably waive their right to information and knowledge regarding the courts and its processes – specifically under BOR.X – for the purpose of safeguarding a fair trial in accordance with this Act until the dismissal of the juror;
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Confirm that they would render a fair verdict according only to the evidence which they will be presented and the law; and
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Disclose the departments, agencies, branches, and businesses they are a part of;
SECTION 6B: Jurors and prospective jurors may be sequestered at any time.
SECTION 7A: Chapter 6, Section 6 of the Firestone Criminal Code currently states:
"(a) The act of altering judicial proceedings shall be recognized as an unlawful criminal offense within the State of Firestone.
(a1) Altering judicial proceedings shall be the act of maliciously interfering, through words or actions with the proper operations of a court or officers of the court, with the intent of disrupting the proper carriage of justice.
(a2) Altering judicial proceedings shall also be the act of, in a way that is unjust, malicious, and unethical, attempting to alter or prevent the testimony of a witness during any legal proceeding.
(a3) Altering judicial proceedings shall also be the act of a subject, who does not retain a role of counsel, coercing or utilizing the threat of force, or force itself, in an attempt to compel a subject to plead guilty in a legal proceeding."
SECTION 7B: Chapter 6, Section 6 of the Firestone Criminal Code shall be amended to state:
"(a) The act of altering judicial proceedings shall be recognized as an unlawful criminal offense within the State of Firestone.
(a1) Altering judicial proceedings shall be the act of maliciously interfering, through words or actions, with the proper operations of a court or officers of the court, with the intent of disrupting the proper carriage of justice.
(a2) Altering judicial proceedings shall also be the act of, in a way that is unjust, malicious, and unethical, attempting to alter or prevent the testimony of a witness during any legal proceeding.
(a3) Altering judicial proceedings shall also be the act of a subject, who does not retain a role of counsel, coercing or utilizing the threat of force, or force itself, in an attempt to compel a subject to plead guilty in a legal proceeding.
(a4) Altering judicial proceedings shall also be the act of maliciously influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of a trial by:
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As a juror or prospective juror, knowingly possessing a disproportionate like or dislike for or against a person or entity involved in the trial;
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Unreasonably sharing an improperly obtained or improperly utilized piece of evidence, fact, principle, or utterance with a juror; or
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Unreasonably meddling with, hastening, hindering, or intimidating a juror or their decision-making process."
SECTION 8: The Firestone Courts shall have the right to bar individuals and criminal organizations from acting as jurors. Those barred from jury duty will be listed on the District Court board for the public.
SECTION 8A: A person may be barred from jury duty for: conviction of any crime under this act, committing Perjury or Contempt of Court, previously having a warrant for arrest, or causing a mistrial of a previous case due to error, negligence, or malice.
SECTION 9: The Judiciary and the Department of Justice shall be tasked with enforcing this Act.
SECTION 10: This legislation shall be brought into law, given that it follows the procedures to do so, as outlined by the Constitution.
SECTION 11: Should any part of this legislation be stuck down and/or declared unenforceable, then that part shall be severed with the rest remaining in full force and effect unless all is struck down and/or declared unenforceable.
Respectfully submitted to the State of Firestone Congress,
Chief Sponsor:
Speaker pro tempore CoolPilotCaio1, Esq.
Chief Justice thekerbal
Co-Sponsor(s):
Governor FIoatmanjason
Attorney General Wolf_RBX, Esq.
Deputy Attorney General UnlimitedMango, Esq.