Jury System Burden on MIA's Families About to End

George Dodge

Santa Fe, NM – A bill sponsored by Rep. George Dodge, Jr. (D-Santa Rosa) that would remove MIA and deceased military members from the master jury database every six months unanimously passed the House of Representatives today. Responding to grieving New Mexican military families who have had to prove the loss of a loved one to the jury system, Rep. Dodge introduced HB 181a to not only streamline the bureaucracy, but to prevent military families from being burdened to provide the required documentation. The bill passed with a vote of 64-0. Rep. Dodge said, “This is a valuable mechanism to prevent families of missing or deceased military members from re-experiencing the anguish of their loss by having to provide death certificates months down the road. Being a veteran and having a son in the Navy, I can empathize with these families and hope to see this legislation make it to the governor’s desk.”

Jury System Burden on MIA's Families About to End