HB3359 amends Illinois court procedure laws governing jury selection in civil cases. It changes the Jury Act to allow the clerk, sheriff, or coroner to draw between 14 and 16 names when alternate jurors are required, rather than the prior fixed number, and it expressly permits juror names to be randomly drawn by computer. The bill also clarifies that objections to the selection procedure are waived unless raised before any prospective juror is called for voir dire.
The bill further amends the Code of Civil Procedure to expand the number of alternate jurors a court may impanel from the regular panel, increasing the allowable range to up to four alternates. It preserves the rule that alternate jurors replace principal jurors who become unable to serve before deliberations, and it keeps the same qualifications, examination, oath, and challenge rules for alternates as for regular jurors. It also maintains the additional peremptory challenge for each side when alternates are used, with the extra challenge limited to alternates.
The bill’s legal impact is limited to jury selection and peremptory challenge procedures in Illinois civil trials. It updates two statutes: the Jury Act (705 ILCS 305/20) and the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2-1106). The changes apply to actions commenced or pending on or after January 1, 2026, so courts will need to use the new procedures for cases filed or still active on that date.
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill passed the House 112-0 and a Senate motion 57-0, indicating broad bipartisan support and no recorded opposition in the available voting history. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous votes suggest the measure was viewed as a procedural modernization rather than a substantive policy change.
There is little visible contention in the record. The main policy choices are the expansion of alternate jurors and the authorization of computer-based random selection, which may have been intended to improve flexibility and efficiency in jury administration. Any potential concerns would likely center on jury-management practices and trial fairness, but no explicit objections or debate are included in the available materials.
Impact
HB3359 updates Illinois jury-selection procedures in civil cases by changing the number of juror names drawn when alternates are needed, allowing computer-based random selection, and increasing the number of alternate jurors a court may impanel to up to four. It amends the Jury Act and the Code of Civil Procedure, affecting court clerks, sheriffs/coroners, judges, litigants, and trial attorneys, and applies prospectively to actions commenced or pending on or after January 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received very positively and without recorded opposition. It passed the House 112-0 and a Senate motion 57-0, suggesting broad agreement that the changes are procedural and administrative in nature. With no committee transcript available, there is no evidence of significant controversy or partisan division.
Contention
No notable contention is reflected in the available record. The only potentially debatable issues are the expansion from one or two alternate jurors to up to four and the allowance for computer-generated random juror selection, but the unanimous votes suggest these changes were not strongly disputed. The bill also clarifies waiver of objections to the selection process if not raised before voir dire, which could matter to litigants and trial attorneys, though no opposition is documented.