PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE PRINTER'S NO. 3561
No. 2593 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, TRELLO, FAIRCHILD, M. N. WRIGHT, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, GEORGE, HARHAI, BROWNE, SCRIMENTI, EVANS, BELARDI, BELFANTI, ROBINSON, WOJNAROSKI, GIGLIOTTI, SERAFINI, ITKIN, FORCIER, MANDERINO, STABACK, STEELMAN, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, McCALL, SANTONI, DeLUCA, KIRKLAND, RAMOS, LEDERER, JAMES, OLASZ, M. COHEN AND MAHER, MAY 6, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MAY 6, 1998
A JOINT RESOLUTION 1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania, 2 authorizing jurors to make notes during the course of a trial 3 and authorizing the presiding judge to provide jurors with a 4 copy of all or a portion of the judge's instructions to the 5 jury. 6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 7 hereby resolves as follows: 8 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 9 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI: 10 That Article V be amended by adding a section to read: 11 § 19. Notes by and instructions to jurors. 12 Nothing in this article shall prohibit a juror from making 13 written notes during the trial to refresh the juror's memory of 14 the trial during the jury's deliberations; nor shall a judge be 15 prohibited from making available to the jurors a copy or copies 16 of the judge's instructions for use during the jury's 17 deliberations.
1 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General 2 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the 3 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to 4 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article 5 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the 6 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in 7 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after 8 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment. 9 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this 10 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the 11 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the 12 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the 13 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required 14 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such 15 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of 16 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the 17 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment 18 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first 19 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three 20 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by 21 the General Assembly which meets the requirements of and is in 22 conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of 23 Pennsylvania. D20L83MRD/19980H2593B3561 - 2 -