House Bill No. by Representative Knox amends the Code of Criminal Procedure Article 812 to enhance the procedures for jury polling in criminal cases. The bill stipulates that the court must order the clerk to poll the jury if requested by either the state or the defendant. The polling process will now include a written method for both cases where a verdict is reached and where a mistrial is declared due to no verdict being reached. Specifically, in cases with a reached verdict, jurors will be asked if the verdict is theirs, while in cases of mistrial, jurors will be asked for their individual verdicts, including options for "guilty," "not guilty," or "guilty of a lesser offense."

Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for the handling of polling slips, allowing them to be placed under seal upon court order, with specific reasons required for such action. If the slips are released, the names of the jurors will be redacted to protect their identities. This legislation aims to clarify and standardize the jury polling process, ensuring transparency while also safeguarding juror confidentiality.