California governor vetoes jury service for non-citizens

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

California governor vetoes jury service for non-citizens

By Sharon Bernstein
SACRAMENTO | Mon Oct 7, 2013 8:04pm EDT

(Reuters) - California's Democratic governor vetoed a bill on Monday that would have allowed legal immigrants who are not citizens to serve on juries in the most populous U.S. state, saying such work was an obligation that went along with citizenship.

The veto comes as California has rapidly expanded the rights of immigrants - both legal and undocumented - even as the U.S. Congress has so far failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

"This bill would permit lawful permanent residents who are not citizens to serve on a jury," Governor Jerry Brown said. "I don't think that's right."

No U.S. state currently allows non-citizens to serve on a jury, according to research by the state Assembly Judiciary Committee.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/08/us-usa-california-immigration-idUSBRE9960VD20131008

[Decaffeinated]

1. Duh....

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Not necessarily, in the early republic it was common

So it's not an automatic duh. Gets better, early on non citizens were allowed to vote in local elections.

The bill was an interesting both experiment and revival of traditions in one case going to before Independence.