NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1973 SESSION

CHAPTER 558

HOUSE BILL 664

AN ACT TO REWRITE G.S. 152-7(2) TO PROVIDE FOR THE SELECTION OF A JURY AT A CORONER'S INQUEST.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 152-7(2) is hereby rewritten to read as follows:

"(2)      To empanel a jury of six persons, under oath, to make further inquiry as to the circumstances of death and to call witnesses as necessary to determine the circumstances. The coroner shall order that the names of at least 15 persons be drawn from the jury box in accordance with the procedure in G.S. 9-5. The coroner shall examine the jurors appearing in obedience to the summons, and may excuse jurors for whom service would be an extreme hardship, who would be unable to remain impartial in determining the issues, or are otherwise disqualified to serve as jurors. If the remaining jurors are less than six in number, the coroner shall cause sufficient additional names to be drawn from the jury box and have them summoned, so as to obtain the immediate attendance of at least six qualified jurors. The first six qualified jurors constitute the inquest jury."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective September 1, 1973.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 17th day of May, 1973.