Senate Bill 5 aims to enhance the legal protections for jurors by establishing penalties for battery or threats directed at jurors and their family members. Under the proposed legislation, such actions would be classified as a Class H felony, which reflects a significant increase in the severity of the penalties associated with these offenses. The bill also allows judges to prohibit convicted individuals from contacting jurors involved in their cases during their sentence or probation, thereby reinforcing the integrity of the judicial process.

In addition to creating new legal definitions and penalties, the bill includes several amendments to existing statutes, notably renumbering and amending sections related to battery and threats against jurors. Specifically, it introduces new sections that define "juror" and "family member" in the context of these offenses, and it modifies existing laws to incorporate the new classifications. The bill also updates various statutes to include the newly defined offenses, ensuring that the legal framework comprehensively addresses the protection of jurors and their families from intimidation or harm.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 48.685(2)(bb), 48.685, 48.685(5)(bm)4, 48.686(1)(c)9, 48.686, 48.686(1)(c)12, 48.686(2)(bb), 50.065(2)(bb), 50.065, 165.70(1)(b), 165.70, 165.84(7)(ab)2, 165.84, 301.048(2)(bm)1.a, 301.048, 767.461(4), 767.461, 940.03, 941.29(1g)(a), 941.29, 941.291(1)(b), 941.291, 941.39(title), 941.39, 946.82(4), 946.82, 949.03(2), 949.03, 968.26(1b)(a)2.a, 968.26
Text as Enrolled: 48.685(2)(bb), 48.685, 48.685(5)(bm)4, 48.686(1)(c)9, 48.686, 48.686(1)(c)12, 48.686(2)(bb), 50.065(2)(bb), 50.065, 165.70(1)(b), 165.70, 165.84(7)(ab)2, 165.84, 301.048(2)(bm)1.a, 301.048, 767.461(4), 767.461, 940.03, 941.29(1g)(a), 941.29, 941.291(1)(b), 941.291, 941.39(title), 941.39, 946.82(4), 946.82, 949.03(2), 949.03