Secondary Resource Process Sheet

Source 4
Type: Website
Bibliography Information:
Lyon, Andrea D. "Racism Common in Jury Selection." CNN. Cable News Network, 23 June 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
Author or Editor: Andrea D. Lyon
Name of magazine, book, etc: CNN
Title of article: Racism Common in Jury Selection
Publishing Co: Cable News Network
City: Not Noted
Year: 2010
Internet address:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/23/lyon.racial.jury.selection/
Summary:
Jury selection is actually a process of elimination: Potential jurors are called for jury duty and are questioned and either
seated, excused for a cause or excused by a peremptory challenge from either side. Generally, a challenge for cause
involves jurors who have a relationship with a party or witness, have a personal experience that would cause them to be
unfair or are legally unable to sit. In capital cases, the number of potential jurors who can be excluded for cause is much
larger because anyone who is against the death penalty can be turned away -- and minorities are more likely to find
problems with the death penalty. Then there's the misuse of peremptory challenges -- each side gets a certain number
of these that it can use to excuse a juror for any reason. The prosecution often uses this strategy to strike as many
minorities from serving as jurors as it can. The problem this creates is obvious. A black or Hispanic defendant facing
death is the most likely to have an all, or nearly all, white jury. Confronting racial attitudes in the courtroom is often
necessary. The problem is fear. When a lawyer speaks up about these issues, he or she is inviting anger from the
prosecution, potentially the judge and maybe even the jury. But we have to talk about this -- and by "we" I mean not
only defense lawyers, but all of us -- and openly. The courts have to stop glossing over the problem by pretending that
"race-neutral" reasons really exist or are even close to satisfactory. And courts should name the offending parties. The
prosecutor who said he didn't want the teacher on the jury because of her so-called tight dress might have hesitated if
he knew his name could be published.
Why is this source important?
This source is important because it discusses the racial selection of the jury in the courtroom.