Opinion ID: 2117221
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Challenge to the Jury Panel.

Text: Jones' counsel made a pretrial motion challenging the jury panel. The challenge was made pursuant to Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 18(3) and alleged that the Scott County jury manager developed jury lists consisting solely of voter registration lists and drivers' license records in violation of Iowa Code section 607A.22 (1991). Jones urges the procedure used to compile the jury list violated the sixth amendment guaranty of a fair cross-section in his jury panel, the fourteenth amendment equal protection clause, and article one, section six and ten of the Iowa Constitution. On the day of the trial, an omnibus hearing on all motions challenging jury panels for scheduled trials was conducted. At the hearing, both the district court administrator and jury manager testified as to the manner in which the jury pool was assembled. It was admitted that only two lists were used from which venire persons were selected: a voters' list and a motor vehicle operators' list. Both the court administrator and the jury manager testified that utility lists were not usable because utility lists tend to be in the name of the head of household and would have a male bias. Evidence was offered that the National Center for State Courts recommends the use of voter and driver lists and that only those two lists be used. Other studies were submitted to show bias is reduced in a jury source list by combining voter and driver lists. The use of the combined list would closely reflect the population characteristics of the county. Based upon the 1990 census, the population of Scott County was approximately 108,000 persons. The African-American population in Scott County was approximately 4.1%, Hispanics comprise 2.7%, and other ethnic groups constituted 1.9% of the total population. The jury manager maintained statistical information based upon questionnaire answers of those summoned for jury duty. Of those who completed the optional questions as to race or ethnic group, approximately 3-3.5% indicated they were African-American. After all evidence had been presented at the omnibus hearing, the court found that the jury manager had made an informed decision not to use the third list (the utility list) for it was not usable. The court found that the lists, as used, do return and represent a cross-section of the community and do not systematically exclude minorities or individuals by sex. Jones' motion challenging the jury panel was denied.
The sixth amendment to the United States Constitution entitles a criminal defendant to a jury panel designed to represent a fair cross-section of the community. Holland v. Illinois, 493 U.S. 474, 477, 110 S.Ct. 803, 805-06, 107 L.Ed.2d 905, 914 (1990); Taylor v. Louisiana, 419 U.S. 522, 538, 95 S.Ct. 692, 701-02, 42 L.Ed.2d 690, 702 (1975); State v. Knutson, 220 N.W.2d 575, 577 (Iowa 1974) (holding same under Iowa Const. art. I, § 10); State v. Lohr, 266 N.W.2d 1, 4 (Iowa 1978) (the constitution recognizes that prospective jurors be drawn from a representative cross-section of the community, it prohibits systematic exclusion of any identified eligible group). A systematic exclusion of distinct segments of the community violates the constitutional requirement. Duren v. Missouri, 439 U.S. 357, 364, 99 S.Ct. 664, 668, 58 L.Ed.2d 579, 586-87 (1979). To establish a prima facie violation of the sixth amendment, the criminal defendant must show: (1) [T]hat the group alleged to be excluded is a distinctive group in the community; (2) that the representation of this group in the venires from which juries are selected is not fair and reasonable in relation to the number of such persons in the community; and (3) that this under-representation is due to systematic exclusion of the group in the jury-selection process. Id.; State v. Watkins, 463 N.W.2d 411, 414 (Iowa 1990). If a prima facie case is established, the burden shifts to the State to demonstrate a justifiable reason for the disproportionate representation by showing that obtaining a fair cross-section is incompatible with a significant State interest. Duren, 439 U.S. at 368, 99 S.Ct. at 670-71, 58 L.Ed.2d at 589-90; Watkins, 463 N.W.2d at 415. Jones, an African-American, is a member of a distinctive group. However, the defendant has not proven that the representation of this group on the jury panel is not fair and reasonable in relation to the number of persons in that group in the community. There is no requirement that the distinctive group or class be represented in exact proportions to the general population. Hoyt v. Florida, 368 U.S. 57, 69, 82 S.Ct. 159, 166-67, 7 L.Ed.2d 118, 126 (1961). Some deviation is to be expected. Therefore, only when this deviation becomes substantial is the fair cross-section requirement violated. Once a substantial under-representation of the defendant's group has been shown, a prima facie case has been established. Castaneda v. Partida, 430 U.S. 482, 495, 97 S.Ct. 1272, 1280, 51 L.Ed.2d 498, 511 (1977). Jones urges the 8.7% minority population in Scott County had only 5.1% representation on the jury panel. Thus, the comparative disparity is forty-one percent. Comparative disparity is determined by taking the absolute disparity percentage and dividing that number by the percentage of the group in the total population. United States v. Sanchez-Lopez, 879 F.2d 541, 548 (9th Cir.1989). We reject the argument that all minority groups should be compared with the total population. We compare only the distinctive group involved when determining if a prima facie case has been established. When considering group or total population figures, eligible jurors statistics would provide the more relevant figures. We also reject reliance upon a comparative disparity statistical comparison. The absolute disparity computation has been used by the Supreme Court and is the appropriate method to be used. Castaneda, 430 U.S. at 495-96, 97 S.Ct. at 1280-81, 51 L.Ed.2d at 511. Absolute disparity is determined by taking the percentage of the distinct group in the population and subtracting from it the percentage of that group represented in the jury panel. See Sanchez-Lopez, 879 F.2d at 547; United States v. Rodriquez, 588 F.2d 1003, 1007 (5th Cir.1979). Here, the absolute disparity is the difference between 4.1% and 2.6% (two out of seventy-five in the jury panel) or 1.5%. In Swain v. Alabama, 380 U.S. 202, 208-09, 85 S.Ct. 824, 829, 13 L.Ed.2d 759, 766 (1965), the underrepresentation of as much as ten percent as calculated by the absolute disparity concept, was insufficient to establish a prima facie case. The Eighth Circuit held that an absolute disparity of 7.2% did not represent a substantial underrepresentation of native Americans on the jury panel. United States v. Clifford, 640 F.2d 150, 155 (8th Cir.1981). Other federal circuit cases arising in districts where the distinct group is a small percentage of the general population have reached a similar conclusion. See Sanchez-Lopez, 879 F.2d at 547-49 (Hispanic 2.8% absolute disparity); United States v. Armstrong, 621 F.2d 951, 956 (9th Cir.1980) (African-American 2.8% absolute disparity); United States v. Kleifgen, 557 F.2d 1293, 1297 (9th Cir.1977) (African-American 1.9% absolute disparity); United States v. Whitley, 491 F.2d 1248, 1249 (8th Cir.1974) (African-American 2.05% absolute disparity). Here, proof of a 1.5% absolute disparity fails to establish a prima facie violation of the sixth amendment. Nor has Jones established, as required by Duren, this disparity is due to a systematic exclusion of African-Americans in the jury selection process. Having failed to establish the second and third step for a prima facie case under Duren, Jones has not established a sixth amendment violation of the fair cross-section requirement. The fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution entitles a criminal defendant to equal protection of the laws. The courts have for more than 100 years recognized that racial groups cannot be excluded from the venire from which a jury is selected. This constitutional principle was first recognized under the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment prohibition of unequal treatment in general and racial discrimination in particular. Holland, 493 U.S. at 479, 110 S.Ct. at 806, 107 L.Ed.2d at 915. Later, in Taylor, the principle was recognized under the sixth amendment requirement of fair cross-section on the venire. Id. To show that an equal protection violation has occurred, the defendant must show that the procedure in selecting the venire resulted in substantial underrepresentation of the defendant's race or group. Castaneda, 430 U.S. at 494, 97 S.Ct. at 1280, 51 L.Ed.2d at 510. Upon our de novo review of the record we find Jones has failed to establish a prima facie case of a constitutional violation under either the sixth or fourteenth amendment or under our state constitution.
Jones also challenges the assembly of the venire on statutory grounds. He claims the jury manager violated the provisions of Iowa Code section 607A.22 by only using jurors selected from two lists. Iowa Code section 607A.22 provides: The ... jury manager shall use all of the following source lists in preparing grand and petit jury lists: 1. The current voter registration list. 2. The current motor vehicle operators list. 3. Any other current comprehensive list of persons residing in the county, including but not limited to the lists of public utility customers, which the . . . jury manager determines are suitable for the purpose of a jury source list. We recently decided State v. Johnson, 476 N.W.2d 330 (Iowa 1991), in which a similar challenge was presented. Although we did not directly pass on the statutory challenge, we did make the following comment in a footnote: We also note, however, that section 607A.22(3) allows some discretion by ... jury managers concerning their use of public utility customers and other lists in addition to voter registration and motor vehicle operators lists. Arguably, a third list should not be used if its use would skew the demographics of the panel or further dilute minority representation in the pool, thereby negating a fair cross-section of the population achievable by use of the voter registration and motor vehicle operators lists alone. See Iowa Code § 607A.1. Id. at 333 n. 1. Here, there was testimony by the district court administrator and the jury manager that use of utility lists would skew the demographics of the panel because of the characteristics of those persons who were the designated customers of the utility. The jury manager had the discretion to use only the two lists. [2] The refusal to use a utility list was not error.