Selection Fields
Legislative Intent
N/A
Definitions
Alaska Stat. Sec. 11.56.900. Definitions.
In this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise,
(1) “improperly influence a witness" means to cause or induce a witness to
(A) testify falsely, offer misleading testimony, or unlawfully withhold testimony in an official proceeding;
(B) avoid or attempt to avoid legal process summoning the witness to testify in an official proceeding, regardless of whether legal process has issued;
(C) be absent from an official proceeding to which the witness has been summoned; or+D4
(D) engage in conduct described in AS 11.56.610;
(2) “judicial officer" means a supreme court justice, including the chief justice, a judge of the court of appeals, a judge of the superior court, a district court judge, or a magistrate;
(3) “juror" means a person who is a member of an impanelled jury or a person who has been drawn or summoned to attend as a prospective juror;
(4) “physical evidence" means an article, object, document, record, or other thing of physical substance;
(5) “testimony" means oral or written statements, documents, or other material that may be offered by a witness in an official proceeding;
(6) “witness" means
(A) a witness summoned or appearing in an official proceeding; or
(B) a person who the defendant believes may be called as a witness in an official proceeding, present or future.
Source of jury master lists are drawn (e.g., voter registration, state income tax, etc. )?
Alaska Code Sec. 09.20.050. Jury list.
(a) At such times as need may require, but not later than November 30 of each year, the administrative director of the Alaska Court System shall prepare for each judicial district a list of the names of the residents of the district who are qualified by law for jury service. If the superior court is located in different cities in the same judicial district, the administrative director shall prepare for each location of the court a list of the names of the qualified residents of that portion of the district considered to be appropriate.
(b) The jury list shall be based on a list prepared by the Department of Revenue of all persons who filed an application for a distribution of Alaska permanent fund income under AS 43.23 during the current calendar year that shows an Alaska address, and of all persons who volunteer for jury duty under (d) of this section. If considered necessary by the administrative director of the Alaska Court System, the jury list shall incorporate a list prepared by the Department of Administration of all persons who hold a valid Alaska driver’s license. The departments shall submit their respective lists to the Alaska Court System not later than September 30 of each year. To the extent that it is available, the departments shall include on the lists they submit the following information for each person: first name, middle initial, and last name; mailing address, including the zip code; and birth date. The lists shall be recorded on magnetic tape compatible with Alaska Court System data processing equipment.
(c) A copy of the appropriate portion of the jury list shall be transmitted to the presiding judge of each judicial district and shall only be used to summon jurors and for other purposes of judicial administration. Duplicate names and the names of deceased persons and persons permanently excused from jury service shall be eliminated from the list before it is transmitted to the presiding judge. A questionnaire for prospective jurors may be adopted and submitted to them by the administrative director of the Alaska Court System.
(d) A person who is qualified as a juror under AS 09.20.010 and is not disqualified from serving as a juror by AS 09.20.020 may volunteer for jury duty by contacting the administrative director of the Alaska Court System and providing the information the administrative director may require.
History
Drawing of juror names from list
Sec. 09.20.070. Public drawing for jurors for panel.
Under the direction of the court the clerk shall conduct the public drawing of jurors for the panel by shaking the box to mix the named or numbered pieces. The clerk shall then draw as many names or numbers as are ordered by the court to fill the jury panel. A random selection of the jury panel by computer may be used in place of the public drawing of names. If the name or number of a person is drawn or selected and the person is deceased, unqualified, disqualified, or the person’s attendance cannot be obtained within a reasonable time or may involve a large and unnecessary expense, and the fact appears to the satisfaction of the court through the use of questionnaires or otherwise, the court may reject the name of that person and direct that the name or number of another be drawn.
Procedure for Summoning Jurors
Alaska Stat. Sec. 09.20.050. Jury list.
(a) At such times as need may require, but not later than November 30 of each year, the administrative director of the Alaska Court System shall prepare for each judicial district a list of the names of the residents of the district who are qualified by law for jury service. If the superior court is located in different cities in the same judicial district, the administrative director shall prepare for each location of the court a list of the names of the qualified residents of that portion of the district considered to be appropriate.
(b) The jury list shall be based on a list prepared by the Department of Revenue of all persons who filed an application for a distribution of Alaska permanent fund income under AS 43.23 during the current calendar year that shows an Alaska address, and of all persons who volunteer for jury duty under (d) of this section. If considered necessary by the administrative director of the Alaska Court System, the jury list shall incorporate a list prepared by the Department of Administration of all persons who hold a valid Alaska driver’s license. The departments shall submit their respective lists to the Alaska Court System not later than September 30 of each year. To the extent that it is available, the departments shall include on the lists they submit the following information for each person: first name, middle initial, and last name; mailing address, including the zip code; and birth date. The lists shall be recorded on magnetic tape compatible with Alaska Court System data processing equipment.
(c) A copy of the appropriate portion of the jury list shall be transmitted to the presiding judge of each judicial district and shall only be used to summon jurors and for other purposes of judicial administration. Duplicate names and the names of deceased persons and persons permanently excused from jury service shall be eliminated from the list before it is transmitted to the presiding judge. A questionnaire for prospective jurors may be adopted and submitted to them by the administrative director of the Alaska Court System.
(d) A person who is qualified as a juror under AS 09.20.010 and is not disqualified from serving as a juror by AS 09.20.020 may volunteer for jury duty by contacting the administrative director of the Alaska Court System and providing the information the administrative director may require.
Prohibition of Discrimination Against Jurors
N/A
Qualifications
Alaska Stat. Sec. 09.20.020. Disqualification of jurors.
A person is disqualified from serving as a juror if the person
(1) has served as a juror in the state within one year of the time of examination for service; or
(2) has been convicted of a felony for which the person has not been unconditionally discharged; unconditional discharge has the meaning given in AS 12.55.185.
Sec. 09.20.010. Qualification of jurors; interpreters.
(a) A person is qualified to act as a juror if the person is
(1) a citizen of the United States;
(2) a resident of the state;
(3) at least 18 years of age;
(4) of sound mind;
(5) in possession of the person’s natural faculties; and
(6) able to read or speak the English language.
(b) A person is not disqualified from serving as a juror solely because of the loss of hearing or sight in any degree or a disability that substantially impairs or interferes with the person’s mobility.
(c) The court shall provide, and pay the cost of services of, an interpreter or reader when necessary to enable a person with impaired hearing or sight to act as a juror.
Disqualifications
Sec. 09.20.020. Disqualification of jurors.
A person is disqualified from serving as a juror if the person
(1) has served as a juror in the state within one year of the time of examination for service; or
(2) has been convicted of a felony for which the person has not been unconditionally discharged; unconditional discharge has the meaning given in AS 12.55.185.
Excusal or Exemptions
Alaska stat. Sec. 09.20.030. Exemptions.
(a) A person may claim exemption and may be excused from service as a juror if it is shown that the person’s health, the health or proper care of the person’s family, a permanent physical or mental disability, or other substantial hardship expected to last more than two years makes it necessary for the person to be excused, or if the person is a judicial officer.
(b) A person may claim exemption and shall be excused by the court from service as a juror during the school term if it is shown that the person is a teacher in a school that is designated as a low performing school under regulations adopted by the state Board of Education and Early Development. In this subsection, “teacher" means a person who serves a school district in a teaching capacity in a classroom setting and is required to be certificated in order to hold the position.
Limited Frequency of Jury Service
Alaska Stat. Sec. 09.20.025. Limitation on jury service.
A person may not be required to serve more than a total of three months as a juror during any consecutive two-year period. However, if a person is serving as a juror at the conclusion of the three months period, that person shall complete the trial then in progress. In this section, a person is “serving as a juror" whenever that person is in attendance in court as a member of a jury or a jury panel.
Who handles excusals is prescribed?
Alaska Stat. Sec. 09.20.030. Exemptions.
(a) A person may claim exemption and may be excused from service as a juror if it is shown that the person’s health, the health or proper care of the person’s family, a permanent physical or mental disability, or other substantial hardship expected to last more than two years makes it necessary for the person to be excused, or if the person is a judicial officer.
(b) A person may claim exemption and shall be excused by the court from service as a juror during the school term if it is shown that the person is a teacher in a school that is designated as a low performing school under regulations adopted by the state Board of Education and Early Development. In this subsection, “teacher" means a person who serves a school district in a teaching capacity in a classroom setting and is required to be certificated in order to hold the position.
Deferral/Postponement of jury service allowed
Alaska Stat. Sec. 09.20.035. Deferral of jury service.
A person may have jury service deferred if the person shows that jury service at the time for which the person is summoned will cause hardship to that person or another, that transportation problems make it temporarily impossible for the person to serve, or that the person summoned is employed as a full-time or temporary election official and the jury service is during the month in which a primary or general election is held. Jury service may be deferred under this section only if the person seeking the deferment agrees to a deferred date. Jury service may not be deferred for more than 10 months from the date the initial jury service was to begin.
Number of petit jurors for jury trial is prescribed?
**CIVIL CASES ONLY**Alaska Stat Sec. 09.20.080. Jury panel.
(a) The jury panel for the trial of civil cases consists of at least twice the number of jurors needed to serve on a trial jury, including any needed alternate jurors. If the number of jurors on the panel falls below the number required by this section or if the regular panel is exhausted, the court shall order the clerk to complete the panel or to secure additional jurors by drawing names from the jury box or by obtaining names from the randomly generated computer list.
(b) If the list of prospective jurors for a court location does not produce sufficient names for a jury panel of minimum size, the administrative director of the Alaska Court System may authorize that additional names of prospective jurors be randomly selected from sources other than those listed in AS 09.20.050.
Disclaimer
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.
