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Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection

By TChris, Section Constitution
Posted on Sun Aug 21, 2005 at 03:49:57 PM EST
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by TChris

In this year's Miller-El decision, the Supreme Court found that Dallas County had impermissibly excluded blacks from Miller-El's jury. The district attorney for Dallas County assured everyone that if such racial exclusion had ever been a part of the prosecution's jury selection strategy, those practices were no longer tolerated.

And now for the truth, as uncovered by the Dallas Morning News:

Prosecutors excluded eligible blacks from juries at more than twice the rate they rejected eligible whites, The Dallas Morning News found. In fact, being black was the most important personal trait affecting which jurors prosecutors rejected, according to the newspaper's statistical analysis.

The district attorney, of course, says that prosecutors remove blacks from juries for reasons other than their race. Again, the Morning News reveals the truth:

Jurors' attitudes toward criminal justice issues also played an important role, but even when blacks and whites answered key questions the same way, blacks were rejected at higher rates.

State District Judge Henry Wade Jr. says racial exclusion is part of the culture of the DA's office. It's time for that culture to change. And maybe, since the DA is defending his office rather than remedying the problem, it's time to change the DA.

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    Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:35 PM EST
    Racial discrimination is apparently alive and well in Texas courtrooms. In capital cases, it has a disparate impact on the many minority defendants.

    Re: Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection (none / 0) (#2)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:35 PM EST
    "I don't think so", on this one, any way for well over 30 years i have had Racial Discrimination against me, its not what you think it is. its a decision against bad lawyers and good lawyers, you just can't say because he is black he is being discriminated against, and remember this non nation is all about race and power but not in the way you think of race and power. "hey", its all about the old Hide and seek games being played out now.

    Re: Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection (none / 0) (#3)
    by Unsyndicated on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:35 PM EST
    Assuming you are supposed to be tried by a jury of your peers, there would seem to be good reason to exclude members of one race or ethnicity or religion in certain cases. I'm a black man who grew up in a poor urban area, so I think it's fair that I only be tried by blacks from that sort of area.

    Re: Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection (none / 0) (#4)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:35 PM EST
    Texas -- typical.

    Re: Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:38 PM EST
    test

    Racial Discrimination in Dallas Jury Selection | 5 comments (5 topical)