S. 862102nd CongressSenate Bill

Criminal Voir Dire Demonstration Act of 1991

Introduced in the SenateDead

This bill died when its Congress ended.

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Criminal Voir Dire Demonstration Act of 1991 - Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to conduct a four-year demonstration program under which the Director of the Administrative Office of United States Courts shall select four district courts to serve as demonstration districts. Precludes any State from having more than one demonstration district. Requires each demonstration district to adopt and follow a local rule which requires the court, at the request of the defendant or the Government (except upon an affirmative finding by the court that the interests of justice require otherwise), to permit the defendant or his attorney and the attorney for the Government each a minimum of 30 minutes to conduct an oral examination of the prospective jury. Specifies that such rule shall: (1) allow additional time for examination by the attorneys at the court's discretion; (2) allow the court to conduct its own examination and to impose reasonable limitations with respect to the questions allowed during such voir dire examination; and (3) allow each side an additional ten minutes for each additional defendant, provided that the total time required shall not exceed one hour per side. Makes decisions made by a court under such rule non-reviewable except for an abuse of discretion. Directs the Judicial Conference to: (1) study the experience of the district courts under the demonstration program authorized by this Act; and (2) transmit to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees a report on the results of such demonstration program.

Introduced Apr 18, 1991
1
Introduced

Filed in the Senate

2
Passed Senate
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Passed House
4
Became Law

This senate bill has been filed and is working its way through Congress. It will need to pass both the Senate and the House, then be signed by the President to become law.

Who introduced this

HH

Howell Heflin

Democrat

U.S. Senator · AL

Introduced solo — no cosponsors joined.

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