Question 1

Although U.S.Supreme Court decisions have made it more difficult for states to discriminate overtly on the basis on race,the procedures used to select the jury pool are not racially neutral.

Accepted Answer

Despite legal rulings against overt discrimination, systemic biases in the jury selection process can still result in racially imbalanced juries. Factors such as the use of voter registration lists or the exclusion of potential jurors with criminal records can disproportionately affect minority groups.

Question 2

The Supreme Court decisions discussed in the chapter have made it more difficult for states to discriminate overtly on the basis on race or ethnicity,the procedures used to select the jury pool are:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Supreme Court decisions discussed in the...

Question 3

The U.S.Supreme Court reversed a death sentence murder conviction because the district attorney asked the jury commissioner to limit the number of African Americans and women on the lists from which potential jurors were chosen in Avery v.Georgia (1953).

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the death sentence murder conviction in Avery v. Georgia (1953) because the district attorney had asked the jury commissioner to limit the number of African Americans and women on the lists from which potential jurors were chosen. The Court ruled that this violated the defendant's right to a fair trial by an impartial jury under the 14th Amendment.

Question 4

"Race-conscious jury selection" is a controversial approach to increasing racial diversity in jury pools.

Accepted Answer

Race-conscious jury selection is a controversial approach as it involves considering the race or ethnicity of potential jurors during the selection process to increase representation of underrepresented groups in the jury pool.

Question 5

The U.S.Supreme Court first addressed racial discrimination in jury selection in Neal v.Delaware (1882).

Accepted Answer

The answer of The U.S.Supreme Court first addressed racial discrimination...

Question 6

A U.S.Court of Appeals upheld a plan to subtract the names of white prospective jurors until the proportion of racial minorities in the pool matches the proportion in the population violated the equal protection rights of white jurors in Purkett v.Elem (1995).

Accepted Answer

In Purkett v. Elem (1995), the U.S. Supreme Court did not address a plan to adjust the racial composition of a jury pool. Instead, the case concerned the permissibility of a prosecutor's race-neutral explanation for using peremptory challenges to strike African American jurors during a criminal trial.

Question 7

Jury pools tend to underrepresent racial and ethnic minorities and those who are:

Accepted Answer

Jury pools tend to underrepresent those who are poor, as they may not have the means to miss work or travel to the courthouse. Racial and ethnic minorities may also be underrepresented, but this is not always the case and can vary depending on the demographics of the area. Urban dwellers and well-educated individuals are not typically underrepresented in jury pools.

Question 8

"Random" selection of jurors from tax books in which the names of white taxpayers were in one section and the names of African American taxpayers were in another was struck down in Strauder v.West Virginia (1880).

Accepted Answer

Strauder v. West Virginia (1880) struck down a law that explicitly barred African Americans from serving on juries, not the method of selection from tax books.

Question 9

In serious criminal cases,the jury serves as the __________ of the community.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In serious criminal cases,the jury serves as...

Question 10

To prevent selecting African Americans for their jury pool,a Georgia county put names of white potential jurors on white cards and African American potential jurors on yellow cards,then "randomly" drew cards to determine who would be summoned for jury duty.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true and reflects the discriminatory practices that were historically used to prevent African Americans from participating in jury duty. The use of different colored cards for different racial groups was one such method of exclusion.

Question 11

Appeals to racial sentiment are referred to as "playing the race card."

Accepted Answer

Appeals to racial sentiment are commonly referred to as "playing the race card."

Question 12

The state of Delaware once rejected African Americans for jury duty because they were "not intelligent,experienced,or moral enough to serve as jurors."

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In 1961, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that African Americans could not be excluded from jury duty based on race, but noted that they could still be excluded if they lacked "intelligence, experience, or moral integrity." This ruling was later overturned in 1973 by the US Supreme Court in the landmark case of Batson v. Kentucky.

Question 13

Since the mid-1930s,the Supreme Court has consistently has struck down techniques used to __________ the requirement of racial neutrality in the selection of the jury pool.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Since the mid-1930s,the Supreme Court has consistently...

Question 14

In McCormick v.South Dakota (1991),the U.S.Supreme Court articulated the doctrine requiring a racially mixed jury in all criminal proceedings.

Accepted Answer

McCormick v. South Dakota (1991) did not articulate a doctrine requiring a racially mixed jury in all criminal proceedings. The case concerned the issue of peremptory challenges based on race, and the Court held that the State's use of peremptory challenges to exclude Native Americans from the jury violated the defendant's rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, the Court did not establish a general rule requiring racial balance on juries.

Question 15

State and federal jurisdictions have experimented with a number of techniques for increasing the racial __________ of the jury pool.

Accepted Answer

The answer of State and federal jurisdictions have experimented with...

Question 16

The racial neutrality of a prosecutor's peremptory challenge should be evaluated based on the genuineness of the prosecutor's explanation,not its reasonableness.

Accepted Answer

This principle was established in the Supreme Court case of Batson v. Kentucky, where it was ruled that the legitimacy of a prosecutor's explanation for a peremptory challenge must be evaluated based on the sincerity of the explanation, rather than its plausibility or reasonableness. The goal is to prevent discrimination based on race in the jury selection process.

Question 17

If a jury votes unanimously to acquit,the double jeopardy clause of the____ Amendment prohibits reversal of the jury's decision.

Accepted Answer

The double jeopardy clause is included in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which prohibits individuals from being tried twice for the same offense. If a jury votes unanimously to acquit, this decision cannot be reversed because of the protection provided by the double jeopardy clause.

Question 18

Jurors must be __ years old.

Accepted Answer

In the United States, jurors must be at least 18 years old.

Question 19

Physically handicapped persons shall serve except where the court finds such service is not _____.

Accepted Answer

The word "handicapped" implies an impairment in physical ability, which may make serving in certain roles difficult or impossible. However, the court is required to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to allow them to participate in the justice system. Therefore, the only reason for exclusion would be if it is not feasible to make such accommodations.

Question 20

The Strauder Court ruled that a West Virginia statute limiting jury service to white males violated the __________ clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Strauder Court ruled that a West...

Quiz 6: Justice on the Bench Trial and Adjudication in Criminal Court