(Text of Section before amendment by P.A.
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(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-298)
Sec. 20.
(a)It shall be the duty of the clerk of the court at the commencement of each week at which any cause is to be tried by a jury to write the name of each petit juror summoned and retained for that week on a separate ticket, and put the whole into a box or other place for safekeeping; and as often as it shall be necessary to impanel a jury, the clerk, sheriff or coroner shall, in the presence of the court, draw by chance 12 names (or 14 where alternate jurors are required) out of such box or other place, which shall designate the persons to be sworn on the jury, and in the same manner for the second jury, in their turn, as the court may order and direct. The attorney for any party litigant in any cause assigned to jury trial shall have the right to be present in person at the time and place when the random selection of jurors for trial of said cause is drawn by lot to be assigned to the trial judge for voir dire examination; a party litigant whose attorney is present at the selection process waives any objection to the selection procedure unless the same is asserted prior to the time any prospective juror is called for voir dire examination.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), names of jurors may be randomly drawn by computer.
(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-298)
Sec. 20.
(a)It shall be the duty of the clerk of the court at the commencement of each week at which any cause is to be tried by a jury to write the name of each petit juror summoned and retained for that week on a separate ticket, and put the whole into a box or other place for safekeeping; and as often as it shall be necessary to impanel a jury, the clerk, sheriff or coroner shall, in the presence of the court, draw by chance 12 names (or from 14 up to and including 16 where alternate jurors are required) out of such box or other place, which shall designate the persons to be sworn on the jury, and in the same manner for the second jury, in their turn, as the court may order and direct. The attorney for any party litigant in any cause assigned to jury trial shall have the right to be present in person at the time and place when the random selection of jurors for trial of said cause is drawn by lot to be assigned to the trial judge for voir dire examination; a party litigant whose attorney is present at the selection process waives any objection to the selection procedure unless the same is asserted prior to the time any prospective juror is called for voir dire examination.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), names of jurors may be randomly drawn by computer.
(c)The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly apply to actions commenced or pending on or after January 1, 2026.