RESULT OF "YES" VOTE: "Yes" vote allows person to be convicted by nonunanimous (11 to 1) jury verdict.RESULT OF "NO" VOTE: "No" vote retains current requirement of unanimous (12 to 0) jury verdict for murder conviction.
SUMMARY: Amends Constitution. Oregon Constitution currently permits conviction for murder only on unanimous verdict of 12-person jury. Measure would permit conviction for murder if 11 members of 12-person jury vote to convict. Measure retains Oregon constitutional provision allowing acquittal on 10 to 2 vote. Unanimous verdict would still be required to convict a person of aggravated murder, when the death sentence is possible. Applies to proceedings pending or commenced on or after measure's effective date, except when jury previously has been impaneled and sworn.
ESTIMATE OF FINANCIAL IMPACT: No financial effect on state or local government expenditures or revenues.
PARAGRAPH 1. The Constitution of the
State of Oregon is amended by creating a new section to be added to and
made a part of Article I, such section to read:
(1) Notwithstanding section 11 of this Article,
11 members of a 12-person jury may render a verdict of guilty for murder
but all 12 jurors must render a verdict of guilty for aggravated murder.
(2) This section applies to all criminal proceedings
pending or commenced on or after the effective date of this section, except
a criminal proceeding in which a jury has been impaneled and sworn on the
effective date of this section. Nothing in this section reduces a criminal
defendant's rights under the Constitution of the United States. Except
as otherwise specifically provided, this section supersedes any conflicting
section of this Constitution.
PARAGRAPH 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at a special election held throughout this state on the date specified in section 2, chapter _____, Oregon Laws 1999 (Enrolled House Bill 2354).
NOTE: Boldfaced type indicates new language; [brackets and italic] type indicates deletions or comments.
Except as otherwise specifically provided, this measure
supersedes any conflicting section of the Oregon Constitution.
| Committee Members:
Senator Neil Bryant Representative Kevin Mannix Senator Kate Brown Representative Floyd Prozanski Representative Lane Shetterly |
Appointed By:
President of the Senate Speaker of the House Secretary of State Secretary of State Members of the Committee |
(This committee was appointed to provide an impartial explanation
of the ballot measure pursuant to
ORS 251.215.)
November 2, 1999 Special Election Voters' Pamphlet Table
of Contents