Virginia Senator Emily Jordan, R-Isle of Wight, submitted SB 638 which would increase the age at which a person is exempt from jury service from 70 to 73 years old.
According to Virginia Mercury, Senator Jordan said the bill was submitted at the request of the Virginia Court Clerks Association, which said the retirement age for judges in Virginia is 73. Therefore, the maximum age for jury service should be the same.
Jordan also pointed out that jury trials have been increasing in Virginia following SB 5007 submitted in 2020 by former Senator Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, which passed and allows criminal defendants to be sentenced by a jury rather than a judge.
The passing of that bill increased jury caseloads. Jordan said that means courts now need a larger pool of applicants for jurors.
Status of SB 638
Jordan’s bill has been submitted to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and will be heard for the first time later this month. Therefore, the status is pending until then.