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House Judiciary Committee backs rule change to restore in-person felony jury selection, delays implementation

Utah House Judiciary Committee · March 3, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

After extended debate about court operations and juror access, the committee favorably recommended a second substitute to SJR 10 requiring in-person jury selection in felony cases (with stipulation options), moving the effective date to January 2027 to allow implementation planning.

Chair Lisonbee announced the committee’s favorable recommendation of the second substitute to SJR 10, a joint resolution that would require in-person jury selection in felony cases while preserving an option for parties to agree to virtual selection.

Senator McKell, sponsor of the joint resolution, said in-person voir dire is “one of your most powerful civic responsibilities,” arguing that seeing jurors in the courtroom helps educate the public and improves confidence in the system. He urged the committee to preserve an in‑person default in felony cases.

The state court…

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