Opinion ID: 688740
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gender Bias in Jury Selection

Text: 3 The defendants first argue that the district court should not have allowed the government's peremptory challenge to a potential juror. The juror in question, Ms. Rose, was the only African-American candidate for the jury. She had both an uncle and former boyfriend who had been convicted for dealing cocaine, was the only potential juror who had seen crack cocaine and had another uncle and a cousin who were police officers. The government moved to strike her, and, recognizing the potential for a racial discrimination objection, volunteered a race neutral explanation for the strike. The prosecutor stated that: 4 [She] is the only black prospective juror we have. She testified that she had both an uncle and boyfriend who had been convicted of crack cocaine. 5 It has been my experience in talking to the various witnesses in this case and in other cases that females are sometimes taken advantage of by their boyfriends that are involved in crack cocaine. That they, in fact, do know about it and sometimes help in those instances. And my reason for striking her is strictly based on my experience with regard to girlfriends of crack cocaine dealers and the fact that she has two people who are very close to her who have been convicted of crack cocaine, and I think that is a racially neutral reason for striking her. 6 Voir Dire Tr. at 55. The defendants claim that this statement shows a gender-based intent to discriminate. 7 However, before we reach the merits of this claim, we must first consider whether the defendants have waived their right to raise this issue on appeal by failing to raise it before the district court. The defendants objected in the trial court to the peremptory challenge on the grounds that it was racially discriminatory. They did not, however, raise the issue of gender discrimination prior to this appeal. To preserve an issue for appellate review, a party must make a proper objection at trial that alerts the court and opposing party to the specific grounds for the objection. United States v. Chandler, 12 F.3d 1427, 1431 (7th Cir.1994); United States v. Wynn, 845 F.2d 1439, 1442 (7th Cir.1988). This court has continually insisted on clear and timely preservation of alleged error in the trial court. Chandler, 12 F.3d at 1431. 1 Thus the defendants' failure to raise the issue of gender discrimination constitutes a waiver of their right to raise it on appeal and we review the district court's decision only for plain error. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b) (issues that have not been raised at the trial level may be reviewed for plain error if they affect substantial rights). 2 8 We do not find the district court's conclusion here to be plain error. The defendants are correct that discrimination in jury selection on the basis of gender violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. J.E.B. v. Alabama, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1419, 128 L.Ed.2d 89 (1994). However, a prosecutor may permissibly strike a prospective juror on the grounds that close relatives or friends have been convicted of the very crime at issue. See United States v. Hughes, 970 F.2d 227, 231 (7th Cir.1992) (strike of venireperson because cousin had drug conviction was race neutral and permissible); United States v. Yankton, 986 F.2d 1225, 1231 (8th Cir.1993) (same); United States v. Bennett, 928 F.2d 1548, 1551 (11th Cir.1991) (same). The reason for the strike need merely be based on a juror characteristic other than gender, and the proffered explanation may not be pretextual. J.E.B., --- U.S. at ----, 114 S.Ct. at 1419. Further, explanations may include a prosecutor's intuitive assumptions that are not fairly quantifiable, Williams v. Chrans, 957 F.2d 487, 490 (7th Cir.) (internal citations omitted), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 595, 121 L.Ed.2d 533 (1992), and [u]nless a discriminatory intent is inherent in the prosecutor's explanation, the reason offered will be deemed race [or gender] neutral. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 360, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 1866-67, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991); see also United States v. Marin, 7 F.3d 679 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 739, 126 L.Ed.2d 702 (1994). 9 A discriminatory purpose or intent implies that the individual selected a course of action at least in part 'because of,' not merely 'in spite of,' its adverse effects upon an identifiable group. Id. (internal citations omitted). The government here struck the juror because she had an ex-boyfriend and an uncle who had been convicted of distribution of crack cocaine. While the proffered explanation might arguably appear sexist, and the nuances of the prosecutor's logic might be questionable, the explanation did not have an inherent discriminatory purpose. Ms. Rose was not stricken solely because she was a girlfriend, i.e. female, but because she was a girlfriend of a convicted cocaine user. Challenging a potential juror because she has a relationship with a convicted drug dealer is a gender neutral, acceptable reason for the strike and we do not find it to be plain error.