Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 281 de 27 de septiembre de 2003, conocida como la "Ley de la Administración de Servicios a Jurados de Puerto Rico", para cambiar su fecha de efectividad al 1 de julio de 2004. La enmienda se realiza para permitir que el Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico apruebe las regulaciones necesarias para la implementación de la ley original, incluyendo el procedimiento para la preparación del registro de jurados, la calificación de las personas seleccionadas, la adjudicación de peticiones de exención o aplazamiento, y la revisión judicial de las decisiones finales del Director del Negociado.
(Approved March 24, 2004)
To amend Sections 14 and 17 of Act No. 281 of September 27, 2003, known as the "Juror Services Administration Act of Puerto Rico," to change its term of effectiveness to July 1, 2004.
The "Juror Services Administration Act of Puerto Rico" was established through Act No. 281 of September 27, 2003, which provides for the creation of the Juror Services Administration Bureau, establishes the general guidelines on the selection of jurors for criminal trials held within our jurisdiction, requires the approval of the necessary regulations and revokes several of the Rules of Criminal Procedure in effect at the time of its approval.
Section 17 of Act No. 281, provides that it shall take effect one hundred eighty (180) days after its approval, in other words, on March 25, 2004. This Act requires approval by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico of new regulations to establish the Juror Services Administration Bureau; to provide the procedure for the drafting of a master register of jurors; provide for the total or partial challenge against said master register, for the qualification of the persons selected for the register; the adjudication of exemption or deferral petitions and the judicial review of final decisions of the Director of the Bureau, and the development of all necessary procedures for the implementation of the statute.
Although said process has already begun, this Legislature deems that it shall not be possible to complete it by March 2004. That would give rise to an untenable situation, since through the effectiveness of Act No. 281, Rules 96 to 108 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1963, as amended, would be repealed which provide the procedural framework on which jury duty is currently sustained.
Pursuant to the above, the effectiveness of Act No. 281 is hereby extended from September 27, 2003, to July 1, 2004.
Section 1.- Section 14 of Act No. 281 of September 27, 2003, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 14.- Regulation The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico shall establish by regulation that must be approved prior to July 1, 2004, all such rules and regulations needed for the implementation of this Act, including but without being limited, to the procedure to be used to prepare the register of the jurors, for the total or partial challenge of that register, for the qualification of persons selected for the register, for summoning such people, for the adjudication of exemption or deferral petitions, for the judicial review of the final decisions of the Director of the Bureau and for any other purpose that meet the purposes of this Act."
Section 2.- Section 17 of Act No. 281 of September 27, 2003, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 17.- This Act shall take effect July 1, 2004." Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 82 (H.B. 4349) of the $7^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Sections 14 and 17 of Act No. 281 of September 27, 2003, known as the "Juror Services Administration Act of Puerto Rico," to change its term of effectiveness to July 1, 2004, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $24^{ ext {th }}$ of June of 2005.
Luis E. Fusté-Lacourt Director