Senate BillIntroduced
S 6735: Provides that if there is a tie when there is an even number of defendants, a peremptory challenge must be allowed.
What S 6735 does, verified July 2, 2025
The bill aims to modify the rules regarding peremptory challenges in criminal trials. Peremptory challenges are allowed to be used by defendants in joint trials, but the number of challenges is not multiplied by the number of defendants. When two or more defendants are tried together, they are treated as a single party, and a peremptory challenge can be made if a majority of the defendants join in or if there is a tie with an even number of defendants. Each party in a joint trial is still allowed three peremptory challenges, which are not multiplied by the number of defendants. The changes take effect immediately.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: SUBSTITUTED BY A934A (2025-06-06)Alert me
Quick answers about S 6735
- What is the current status of S 6735?
- As of July 2, 2025, S 6735 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on June 6, 2025, was "SUBSTITUTED BY A934A".
- Did S 6735 pass?
- Not yet. S 6735 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 6735, and where is it now?
- S 6735 was authored by Sen. Patricia Fahy.
Author and sponsors
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| Jun. 06, 2025 | SUBSTITUTED BY A934A |
| May. 29, 2025 | ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1498 |
| May. 29, 2025 | COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES |
| May. 05, 2025 | AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CODES |
| May. 05, 2025 | PRINT NUMBER 6735A |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, March 21, 2025 · 214 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6735 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FAHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to peremptory challenges The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 270.25 of the criminal procedure 2 law is amended to read as follows: 3 3. When two or more defendants are tried jointly, the number of 4 peremptory challenges prescribed in subdivision two of this section is 5 not multiplied by the number of defendants, but such defendants are to 6 be treated as a single party. In any such case, a peremptory challenge 7 by one or more defendants must be allowed if a majority of the defend- 8 ants join in such challenge, or if there is a tie when there is an even 9 number of defendants. Otherwise, it must be disallowed. 10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01314-01-5
Text of S 6735 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions