(a)  A person is qualified to serve as a juror if the person is:

(1)  A citizen of the United States;

(2)  A resident of Rhode Island who either:

(i)  Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote; or

(ii)  Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or

(iii)  Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of § 3-8-6 and § 3-8-6.1; or

(iv)  Is an individual filing a state income tax return; or

(v)  Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation;

(3)  At least 18 years of age;

(4)  Able to understand and participate in the court proceedings; and

(5)  Physically and mentally capable of performing in a reasonable manner the duties of a juror.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 9-9-1.1

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8

(b)  No person shall be allowed to serve as a juror if he or she has been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos mentis, or is serving a sentence of confinement at a correctional facility as a consequence of a felony conviction.

(c)  [Deleted by P.L. 2023, ch. 367, § 1 and P.L. 2023, ch. 368, § 1.]

(d)  Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(4) and (5), a person with a disability shall not be ineligible to serve as a juror solely on the basis of the person’s disability, and if that person meets the above requirements, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, the person shall be deemed a qualified juror.

(e)  Nothing in this section shall prevent the court from disqualifying a prospective juror because the prospective juror lacks a faculty or has a disability which will prevent the potential juror from being a competent juror in a particular case.

(f)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a party’s right to preemptorially challenge jurors.

History of Section.
P.L. 1990, ch. 328, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 71, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 8; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 8; P.L. 2003, ch. 430, § 1; P.L. 2023, ch. 367, § 1, effective June 27, 2023; P.L. 2023, ch. 368, § 1, effective June 27, 2023.