ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland Senate Bill 30 would give anyone convicted of crimes the ability to serve on juries once their sentence is served.
The bill would not apply to those convicted of juror or witness intimidation.
Currently, convicts can only serve if they have finished a sentence of less than one year or if their charges have been expunged or they received a pardon.
Ronald Jarashow with the Maryland Association for Justice is in favor of the bill. Jarashow argues the current exclusion of convicts on juries has a disproportionate impact on minorities.
"If you've served your time and if you have served your probation, you've served your debt to society, you've repaid it, you should no longer be disqualified," Jarashow said.
Caroline County State's Attorney Joe Riley testified against the bill before Maryland's Senate Judiciary Committee.
Riley says this bill would make it difficult for the state to pick jurors.
"The state would have less of an ability to get the jurors that they want and should that juror get on the jury panel, make it less likely that that juror would vote to convict their client," Riley said.
The bill heads next to the Maryland House of Delegates.