Court Opinion

ID: 9472271
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 03:54:42.859752+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:42:50.228458
License: Public Domain

HEANEY, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
It appears from the record that some of the persons on the bystander list used in this case were selected because they were acquaintances of the sheriff and others in his office. Others were placed on the list by the circuit clerk. We do not know if any of those listed because of their acquaintance with persons in the sheriff’s office served on the petit jury which convicted Russell. If so, I would reverse the district court because of the fundamental unfairness in allowing the sheriff and his subordinates to hand-pick acquaintances for jury service; if not, Russell would not be prejudiced from this defect in the system and I would affirm. For purposes of this appeal, I would remand for further factual findings on this crucial issue.
In Henson, we held that a sheriff’s selection of bystander jurors based on acquaintance violated the due process clause. Henson v. Wyrick, supra, 634 F.2d at 1084. We made clear that the sheriff’s involvement in the selection of bystander *465jurors in itself was not constitutionally infirm, but that such involvement should be limited to an application of totally objective criteria, such as random selection from a voters’ registration list. Id. at 1084-1085. We reiterated these precepts in our recent Anderson opinion. Anderson v. Frey, supra, 715 F.2d at 1309. We emphasized in Anderson that the sheriff’s mere involvement in the process or mere acquaintance with prospective jurors is not the problem; rather, the nature of that involvement is the key. Id. at 1309 & n. 7. In my view, when personal acquaintance with law enforcement personnel is the reason for placing a name on a bystander jury list, the potential for selecting a conviction-prone jury from that list rises to the level of fundamental unfairness. We ignore human nature to suppose that a sheriff or deputy would suggest the name of an acquaintance known to sympathize with the rights of the accused.
I would not read Holt to permit a sheriff and her or his subordinates to select prospective jurors on the basis of personal acquaintance so long as those officials are not directly involved in the ease at hand. As I view Holt, the use of another sheriff’s office to select additional jurors would have been improper were it not for the “[ejqually important” factor that the defendant in that case “presented no evidence that the sheriff selected only his acquaintances for the jury.” Holt v. Wyrick, supra, 649 F.2d at 546. In this case, Russell adduced evidence that at least some of the persons on the bystander jury list were selected because o/their acquaintance with the sheriff or his deputies. Even if Holt could be interpreted to support the majority’s views under these circumstances, the most recent approach of this Court is expressed in Anderson. Under Anderson, “the participation of an interested official in the juror selection process” which takes the form of a subjective choice by such official is a violation of due process. Anderson v. Frey, supra, 715 F.2d at 1309.
For these reasons, I would remand for further factual findings and I respectfully dissent from the opinion of the majority.