Deaf Jurors

North Carolina lawmakers are divided over whether to let the deaf serve on juries. Proposed legislation would remove a requirement that jurors be able to require someone who can hear English. The bill would require judges to provide deaf jurors with a sign language interpreter and get rid of the hearing requirement. Some lawmakers suggested the fact that the deaf won't be able to hear voice inflections to determine whether someone is telling the truth is reason enough to keep them off juries. Debate on the bill picks up again next week.