Supreme Court of the United States
Carter v. Jury Commission of Greene County
January 19, 1970396 U.S. 320
Summary
The Court held that persons excluded from jury service because of race may bring a civil action seeking affirmative relief against officials administering a state jury-selection system. It upheld the facial validity of Alabama's race-neutral juror-qualification standards, but affirmed an injunction requiring the Greene County officials to compile a jury list in accordance with state law and constitutional requirements. The Court rejected the demand for mandatory racial representation on the county jury commission because the record did not establish discriminatory gubernatorial appointments and proportional representation was not required. Justice Black concurred in part regarding limits on federal power over gubernatorial appointments, while Justice Douglas, dissenting in part, would have invalidated the commission system absent proportional racial representation.
Holding
- Availability of a civil action by persons excluded from jury service. Persons excluded from jury service because of race have a cognizable legal interest and may bring a civil action challenging systematic discriminatory jury selection and seeking affirmative relief.
- Facial validity of Alabama's juror-qualification standards. The statutory standards requiring jurors to be generally reputed honest and intelligent and esteemed for integrity, good character, and sound judgment were not facially unconstitutional, even though the officials had applied them discriminatorily.
- Mandatory racial representation on the jury commission. The plaintiffs were not entitled to an order requiring the Governor to appoint Black members to the Greene County jury commission.
- Adequacy and continuing administration of the injunction. The District Court properly enjoined systematic racial exclusion and required the officials to compile a new jury list in accordance with Alabama law and constitutional principles, while retaining authority to determine whether the new list complied with its decree and to provide further relief.
Docket 30
Cited authorities
- Iowa Code § 607.1
- Iowa Code § 607.1
- 28 U.S.C. §§ 2281
- 28 U.S.C. § 1253
- 41 S. Cal. L. Rev. 235
- 52 Va. L. Rev. 1069
- 18 U.S.C. § 243
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 21-201
Cited by
- Commonwealth v. Jose Aponte, and Others
- Marcos Gutierrez v. the State of Texas
- Lewis Black, United States of America, by John Mitchell v. Clarence Curb…
- Willie L. Morrow and Jerome Mangum
- Janet Foster v. Boise-Cascade, Inc.
- Freddie Batiste, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee
- State of Connecticut v. Donald Couture
- State of Connecticut v. Roy Jones — Norcott, J., dissenting