NJ governor agrees: Former convicts should be able to serve on juries

⚫ Former convicts have a lifelong ban from jury duty in New Jersey

⚫ Gov. Murphy says the state should change its rule

⚫ Groups say the prohibition is disproportionately impacting Black residents

A recent announcement from Gov. Phil Murphy may provide the momentum that many groups are looking for in their quest to allow former convicts to serve on juries in the Garden State.

According to the Murphy Administration, approximately 500,000 individuals in New Jersey are currently banned for life from serving on juries due to prior criminal convictions.

Proposed laws sitting in the New Jersey Legislature would eliminate a past conviction as an automatic disqualifier for jury duty. On Wednesday, Murphy publicly expressed his support for the proposal.

“Our Administration believes in second chances, and restoring these individuals’ right to perform a fundamental civic duty is not just about ending an injustice that continues to plague our formerly incarcerated neighbors; it is also about defending the integrity of our democracy, our criminal justice system, and the rule of law," Murphy said.

According to the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, the state's rule disproportionately impacts Black residents. Twenty-three to 29% of the state's Black population is barred from serving on a jury because of a prior conviction.

Letter to the governor

NJISJ is one of dozens of groups that make up the Jury of Us coalition, which recently sent a letter to Murphy and legislative leadership, urging them to act on the issue.

“People with criminal convictions who have served their time and regained their freedom should participate in the same civic duties as their neighbors,” the letter says.

The groups are pushing for passage of A834/S292, which allows formerly incarcerated individuals to be a part of the jury selection process. Under the Assembly measure, those who served time for murder or aggravated sexual assault would still be blocked from serving as a juror. The Senate version includes no carve-outs.

The coalition favors the Senate version. Murphy's office did not respond when asked which legislation he prefers.

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"The bill doesn't change anything except allow more people to come into the jury pool room, to be considered," said Emily Schwartz, senior counsel in the criminal justice reform program at NJISJ. "The bill is not forcing anybody to take or not take any one person as a juror."

If the legislation were to become law, former convicts could still be eliminated from the process by attorneys and judges who question them individually about potential bias.

A version of the legislation was approved by the full Assembly last session.

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