SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Paying taxes in California could make you eligible for jury duty under a proposal backed by some prominent state lawmakers.
State Sen. Scott Wiener announced a bill on Wednesday that would require county courts to also pull prospective jurors from a list of people who have paid their state taxes.
Counties already pull jurors from lists of registered voters and people with driver's licenses.
Wiener said the bill would make juries more reflective of their communities. It's one of several bills aimed at combating racial injustice in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in police custody last month.
Today we announced new legislation to ensure CA jury pools reflect the diversity of our community. #SB592 requires that juries be drawn from CA taxpayer roll, not just DMV & voter rolls.
A jury of one’s peers is essential to end structural racism in our criminal justice system.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) July 15, 2020
