An Act addressing racial disparity in jury selection

This bill aims to reduce racial bias in jury selection by modifying how attorneys use peremptory challenges to exclude potential jurors. It removes the restriction that bars individuals convicted of a felony within the last seven years from serving on juries. Additionally, the law requires attorneys to provide specific reasons when striking a juror and gives judges the authority to reject challenges that appear based on race or ethnicity without needing proof of intentional discrimination. The legislation also lists certain characteristics, such as having a child out of wedlock or living in a high-crime area, as presumptively invalid reasons for excluding a juror.