NJ Spotlight News
Formerly incarcerated people now eligible for jury duty in NJ
Clip: 1/12/2026 | 1m 5sVideo has Closed Captions
Murphy's executive order applies only to those convicted before he signed it
Roughly 350,000 people who have been convicted of crimes and have completed their sentences will now be eligible to serve jury duty in New Jersey, thanks to an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
Formerly incarcerated people now eligible for jury duty in NJ
Clip: 1/12/2026 | 1m 5sVideo has Closed Captions
Roughly 350,000 people who have been convicted of crimes and have completed their sentences will now be eligible to serve jury duty in New Jersey, thanks to an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Sunday.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAnd Governor Murphy is still making waves in his final days yesterday signing an executive order that will allow some 350,000 individuals who've been convicted of a crime and who've completed their sentence to serve jury duty.
Now current law bars them from jury duty for life.
But second chance groups have called for that right to be restored to allow those who've repaid their debt to society to fully participate as citizens and to ensure that juries reflect the people they serve.
Now Murphy had wanted to see this law passed and the measure was first proposed as a bill but it never moved.
And it was never approved through the legislature.
In order to grant this right, Murphy would have to grant a degree of clemency, not pardoning any conviction.
But that means it only applies to those convicted before he signed the order.
Murphy also previously restored the right for some formerly incarcerated people to vote.
Also Governor Murphy got the chance to

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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS