Opinion ID: 593325
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dawson's Challenge to the Jury Selection.

Text: 20 Dawson's request for a venire composed of persons from the Delta Division of the Northern District of Mississippi was granted by the district court. Approximately two weeks before the trial, the court furnished counsel with a proposed jury list consisting of seventy-five individuals. Twenty-five persons listed were black. Twenty-two persons were drawn from the list on the day of trial to compose the venire. Only three of the persons chosen for the venire were black, and one of the three was excused before coming to court that morning. Persons who were excused were let go in large part for reasons relating to the hardship of transportation, i.e., the persons selected from the Delta Division were required to travel to Oxford, Mississippi, which is in the Western Division, for trial. 21 In a post-trial motion, Dawson challenged compliance with jury selection procedures under the Jury Selection and Service Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1861, et seq., alleging that the selection of the jury was tainted by racial and economic discrimination. Dawson did not move to stay the proceedings for failure to comply with the Act before or during voir dire. Dawson did not challenge any jurors for cause, nor did he object to defense counsel's peremptory challenge of one of the remaining black jurors. 28 U.S.C. § 1867(c) provides: 22 In civil cases, before the voir dire examination begins, or within seven days after the party discovered or could have discovered, by the exercise of diligence, the grounds thereof, whichever is earlier, any party may move to stay the proceedings on the ground of substantial failure to comply with the provisions of this title in selecting the petit jury. 23 This court has held that section 1867 precludes any statutory challenges to irregularities in jury selection that are not made before voir dire. United States v. De Alba-Conrado, 481 F.2d 1266, 1269 (5th Cir.1973). Moreover, the statute does not contemplate that a new trial could be granted for a violation of the Act, since the only remedy provided is a stay in the proceedings until a jury can be selected in conformity with the statute. Arbuckle Broadcasters, Inc. v. Rockwell International Corp., 513 F.Supp. 407, 410 (N.D.Tex.1980). Thus, Dawson's post-trial statutory challenge to the jury selection procedure is foreclosed. 24 However, forfeiture of the statutory claim in no way affects the sanctity of a defendant's due process right to be tried by a jury drawn from a fair cross section of the community. McGinnis v. M.I. Harris, Inc., 486 F.Supp. 750, 755 (N.D.Tex.1980) (citing United States v. Kennedy, 548 F.2d 608, 613-14 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 865, 98 S.Ct. 199, 54 L.Ed.2d 140 (1977)). The use of peremptory challenges to exclude prospective jurors because of race violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). This principle applies to civil cases as well as criminal. Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., Inc., --- U.S. ----, ----, 111 S.Ct. 2077, 2087, 114 L.Ed.2d 660 (1991). 5 25 Constitutional objections to the seating of a jury must be made promptly. United States v. Erwin, 793 F.2d 656, 667 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 991, 107 S.Ct. 589, 93 L.Ed.2d 590 (1986). Dawson did not raise a constitutional challenge to the jury selection procedure in his motion for new trial or his appellate briefs; nor did he object to the composition of the jury panel at trial. Even if Dawson had raised this issue before the district court in his motion for new trial and had asserted it on appeal, a post-trial challenge to the composition of the jury is untimely and therefore barred. Munn v. Algee, 730 F.Supp. 21, 29 (N.D.Miss.1990), affirmed, 924 F.2d 568 (5th Cir.1991). See Erwin, 793 F.2d at 667 (Batson challenges should be made before the unselected veniremen are released). 26 Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is, in all respects, 27 AFFIRMED.