State bill would prevent release of jurors’ personal information – The Winchester Star

RICHMOND A bill meant to prevent a defendant from gaining access to the personal information of jurors has been twice resurrected by its sponsor, 29th District Del. Chris Collins, R-Frederick County.

Collins introduced House Bill 1546 after a local convicted murderer, Christopher Lee Baker, obtained a list of jurors from his murder trial and sent some of them letters threatening to harm them if money was not deposited into his inmate account at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center.

The bill was initially opposed by the Virginia Coalition for Open Government and the Virginia Press Association, which felt the existing law allowing a judge to seal the information on a case-by-case basis was sufficient.

Language in the original bill stated that the personal information of a juror impaneled in a criminal case can be released only to the counsel of record in the case.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, expressed concerns about secret juries and automatically closed off identity lists, which federal law mandates be public information.

Collins previously said he wasnt trying to keep juror information from the public.

On Thursday, he said hed amended his bill to address concerns of groups like the Virginia Coalition for Open Government and other legislators.

The substitute bill limits the release of personal information, defined as any information other than a name and home address, of a jury member to the counsel of record in the case. It also provides that the court can authorize the disclosure of that kind of personal information to any person upon formal request.

Rhyne said in a Wednesday email that her organization was content with the changes.

The bill was first tabled by a House subcommittee, until Collins offered a substitute and it passed the subcommitte and House Courts of Justice. It then passed the House as part of a unanimous block vote.

The Senate Courts of Justice on Monday decided to indefinitely table the bill, but then agreed to reconsider it and passed it 9-6 to send it for a floor vote.

This is the second time Ive pulled this back from the dead, Collins said of the numerous concerns hes had to address. Everybody is OK with it.

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State bill would prevent release of jurors' personal information - The Winchester Star