SB152 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Juries, Legislature authorized to establish size of jury panels, const. amend.

Summary

SB152 would amend Alabama's Constitution to let the Legislature set jury sizes to six for misdemeanor criminal cases and for civil cases appealed to the Court of Civil Appeals.

What This Bill Does

If approved, the Legislature could establish six-person juries by general law for those specific cases. This is a constitutional change to Section 11 and would apply only to criminal cases with only misdemeanor charges and civil cases where an appeal goes to the Court of Civil Appeals. The amendment would require voter approval in a statewide election before taking effect.

Who It Affects

• Defendants in misdemeanor criminal cases and parties in civil cases that would be appealed to the Court of Civil Appeals, who could be tried by six-person juries.
• Jury pools and trial administration in Alabama (courts, jurors, prosecutors, and judges) for those cases, as the legislature could set the jury size to six and potentially change how many jurors participate.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 11 of the Alabama Constitution to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to set the jury size to six individuals for criminal cases involving only misdemeanor charges and for civil cases in which the appeal would be to the Court of Civil Appeals.
• Requires voter approval; outlines that the amendment shall become valid only when approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting on it in an election, with specified ballot language.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments