Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a)
General rule. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
section, the jury selection commission in each county of this Commonwealth
consists of three or more persons selected as provided by
42 Pa.C.S. §
2122
(relating to composition of jury selection commissions).
(b)
Home rule counties. As
provided by
42 Pa.C.S. §
2121(b) (relating to jury
selection commissions) a county home rule charter may supersede
42 Pa.C.S. §
2122. The
following unofficial summary of local law is provided for the general
information of the public system and and related personnel and shall not be
construed as an authoritative interpretation of any provision of law:
(1)
Delaware County.
Sections 408 and 416 of the charter provide that a majority and minority jury
commissioner shall be appointed by the County Council. The jury commissioners
have all the powers and duties granted by applicable law, the charter or
ordinance of County Council.
(2)
Erie County. Section 3 of Article VI of the charter provides
that there shall be a Jury Board which shall consist of the President Judge of
the Court of Common Pleas, one other judge of the court appointed by the
President Judge and a clerk appointed by the President Judge from among the
clerks employed by the Department of Records; that the Jury Board shall have
and exercise all powers and duties imposed upon it by applicable law pertaining
to the selection of jurors; and that certain procedures shall be followed in
the selection of jurors.
(3)
Lackawanna County. Section 1706 of the charter abolishes the
office of elected jury commissioner. Section 702(a) of the charter provides
that the elected Sheriff shall have power relating to administration of jury
service in the county.
(4)
Lehigh County. Section 1105 of the charter, as amended,
abolishes the office of elected jury commissioner. Section 501(d) of the
charter, as amended, provides that jury selection and management shall be the
responsibility of the Judiciary and grants plenary power and authority to carry
out that responsibility. The 'Judiciary' is defined by Section 1009(m) of the
charter to include the Court of Common Pleas; the Judicial Magisterial System
within the 31st Judicial District; the offices of the Court Administrator and
Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas; the Domestic
Relations Section; the Probation Department; and such other offices sections,
departments and/or agencies which do now or shall hereafter constitute part of
the Judicial System within the County of Lehigh.
(5)
Northampton County.
Section 1303(a) of the charter abolishes the office of elected jury
commissioner. Section 1304(b)(3) of the charter transfers the duties, powers
and functions of the jury commissioners to the Court of Common Pleas.
