Art. 416.  Drawing petit jury venire in parishes other than Orleans; term of service

A.  Upon order of court the jury commission in parishes other than Orleans shall draw a petit jury venire.  The commission shall draw indiscriminately and by lot thirty name slips from the general venire box, unless directed by the court order to draw a larger number.  The persons whose names are so drawn shall be subject to serve as petit jurors for the first week of the next criminal session of court.

The court also may order the commission to draw indiscriminately and by lot as many additional name slips, not less than thirty, as it may direct for each additional week that a petit jury venire may be required, not to exceed two additional weeks.  The persons whose names are so drawn shall be subject to serve as petit jurors for the week for which their names were drawn.

Alternatively, for the purpose of drawing a petit jury venire, the jury commission may use an electronic device, commonly known as a computer, which is programmed to draw indiscriminately and by lot.

B.  A petit jury venire for the first week of a session shall not be drawn from a general venire containing less than two hundred fifty names, and no petit jury venire for any subsequent week shall be drawn from a general venire containing less than one hundred fifty names.

The commission shall place the slips bearing the names of the petit jury venire for each week in a separate envelope.  It shall seal each envelope and write thereon the words "Petit Jury Venire No. 1," "Petit Jury Venire No. 2," and "Petit Jury Venire No. 3." Each envelope shall be placed in a box labeled "Petit Jury Box."

If a petit jury venire does not serve during the week for which it was drawn, the court may order that it serve during any other week of that session of court.

Amended by Acts 1972, No. 755, §1.