STAND. COM. REP. NO. 344

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 899
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No.
899 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JURORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is
to remove all exemptions from jury service except previous
service within the preceding year, to increase the juror mileage
compensation from 33 to 37 cents, and to appropriate money for
increased juror compensation.

     Your Committee finds that the existing law providing
exemptions from jury service for doctors, lawyers, and others is
optional, not automatic, and these exemptions must be either
specifically claimed or waived by those within these exempt
categories.  Thus, those inidividuals within the exempt
categories now have the option to participate as jurors when
called for jury service.  Your Committee believes that greater
participation by members of the currently exempt groups should be
encouraged rather than altering the current system of exemptions.
Your Committee further finds that an increase in the mileage
compensation for jurors will fairly reflect increases in the cost
of transportation since the law was last amended.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Judiciary and Common Cause Hawaii.  Testimony in opposition to
the repeal of the current juror exemptions was submitted by the
Hawaii Medical Association.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 344
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     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the proposed repeal of all exemptions; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 1999.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
899, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 899, S.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary,



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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