Governor Newsom signs Assemblymember Hart’s juror mental health bill into law Monday
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Monday, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2985 into law and now, mental health information will be provided to jurors after criminal trials for violent felonies.
The bill, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), requires courts to distribute mental health information to jurors after a verdict is decided, but before jurors leave the courtroom.
"Jurors serving on criminal trials can be asked to examine the most violent crimes they have ever encountered, yet they are prohibited from discussing their experiences with anyone while going through the process," Assemblymember Hart explained. "This bill will help our judicial system acknowledge and support the mental wellness needs of community members completing their civic duty, advancing peace of mind and improving the overall juror experience."
According to Assemblymember Hart's Office, the origin of the bill came from Ethan Bertrand, Hart's District Director, after he saw the impact that trials concerning violent acts can have on jurors in the local area.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office was a notable supporter of the bill's passage.
"While prosecutors, peace officers, and criminal defense attorneys never get used to the violent, traumatic, and horrific acts that we are exposed to on a daily basis, this exposure is expected as an unfortunate reality of a public service career in the criminal justice arena. Jurors, on the other hand, are often unprepared for the very difficult issues that they will be exposed to while fulfilling their public service as the triers of fact," said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch. "It is important for jurors to be supported in taking care of their wellness following service on a trial that involves serious violence."
The Judicial Council has an educational handout to help jurors with mental wellness following their service, but there was no method of distribution before the passage of AB 2985 explained Assemblymember Hart's Office in a press release about the bill's passage Monday.
