Hearing Impaired Jurors Rejected by NC House
Despite being approved unanimously by the State Senate and endorsed by the Administrative Office of the Courts, SB293 was stripped of its provision that would have legalized hearing impaired jurors in North Carolina.
The House voted to send back to committee a bill meant to bring the state's procedure on seating deaf jurors into compliance with federal law. State law has been contrary to the Americans with Disabilities Act because it says deaf jurors cannot be seated as jurors. In practice, the Administrative Office of the Courts has advised judges and other court officials to allow deaf people to remain in jury pools and to have an interpreter assigned to them. Read more . . .
Are hearing impaired individuals fit to serve on juries?
by Kim M. Batson
Lawmaker after lawmaker declared Thursday (7/16/09) in the NC House that hearing impaired individuals are unfit to serve as jurors merely by virtue of their disability. This is in flagrant violation of Federal Law (ADA) and ignores the scores of jurors who have successfully served in multiple jurisdictions nationwide.
Time is of the essence - debate will resume Tuesday, 7/28/09, on the 2nd reading. Movement to kill the bill was evident on the 16th.
Get the facts and judge for yourself. Then contact your representative and anyone else you think will listen. If you agree that hearing impaired individuals have the right to serve on juries, urge our State House to vote "Yes" and pass this link on to all interested parties NOW.
Summary of Facts supporting the right of the hearing impaired to sit on a jury (author: Kim Batson). PDF On this site
Hear the debate for yourself. At this link, click on 7/16/09. Discussion begins at approximately 28 minutes.
Here's what the state and national organizations say: