Assembly Bill 26 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 penalties for 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 amendments to various sections of existing statutes, such as renumbering and amending sections related to battery and threats against jurors. Notably, it introduces new sections that define "juror" and "family member" in the context of these offenses. The bill also updates existing laws to include the newly defined crime of battery or threat to jurors, ensuring that the legal framework adequately addresses these specific threats to the judicial system.

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