Pa. House passes juror privacy bill

The state House of Representatives unanimously passed bipartisan legislation Monday that protects the privacy of jurors.

The bill exempts the names and addresses of jurors from public access unless otherwise ordered by the courts, according to a news release by Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte. Under his proposal, government agencies that maintain juror records would not be permitted to release any identifying information to the public.

“Many jurors preside over high-profile cases, and they have the right to be protected,” Benninghoff said in the release. “I believe it is our duty to ensure the safety of citizens as they fulfill their civic duty.”

The legislation does not preclude individual jurors from voluntarily releasing their own information, the release said. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Pa. House passes juror privacy bill."