Juries: criminal trials: peremptory challenges.

Existing law provides that in a criminal case, if the offense charged is punishable with a maximum term of imprisonment of 90 days or less, the defendant and the state are each entitled to 6 peremptory challenges of prospective jurors. Existing law also provides that when 2 or more defendants are jointly tried, their challenges are to be exercised jointly, but each defendant is also entitled to 4 additional challenges which may be exercised separately, and the state is entitled to the same number of additional challenges. This bill would, until January 1, 2017, recast these provisions to apply to a criminal case in which the offense charged is punishable with a maximum term of imprisonment for one year or less. The bill would provide that in that instance the defendant and the state would each be allowed 5 peremptory challenges of prospective jurors. The bill would, until January 1, 2017, provide that if 2 or more defendants are jointly tried for an offense punishable with a maximum term of one year or less, their challenges would be exercised jointly, but each defendant would also be entitled to 2 additional challenges which may be exercised separately, and the state would also be entitled to 2 additional challenges.