Opinion ID: 1690126
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: was the jury properly limited to qualified electors or freeholders of more than one year, over the age of 20 and literate?

Text: ś 135. Jordan contends that Miss. Code Ann. § 13-5-1 (1972) is unconstitutional and violates his right to jury composed of a fair cross section of the community. This issue is procedurally barred because Jordan did not raise it in the trial court. ś 136. The issue is further without merit as we have held that Mississippi's jury eligibility statute with regard to age and literacy is constitutional. Edwards v. State, 737 So.2d at 318-19; Wilson v. State, 574 So.2d 1324 (Miss.1990); Turner v. State, 573 So.2d 657 (Miss.1990). The Legislature has also added the qualifier of freeholder for the very reason that jury members would not be limited to registered voters, Brown v. State, 240 So.2d 291, 292 (Miss.1970), thereby expanding the list of qualified venire. Therefore, this issue is without merit.