Court Opinion

ID: 9626906
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:27:20.72855+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:36.130814
License: Public Domain

Justice EXUM
dissenting.
I dissent on the ground that defendant was not afforded a reasonable opportunity to inquire into and present evidence to support his contention that there was systematic exclusion of people of the black race from the petit jury that tried him. The majority recognizes the principle that such opportunity must be given when the defendant alleges such systematic exclusion. Its position is that since the jury panel for the week of court at which defendant was tried was selected some weeks before the trial began the defendant had an opportunity to develop such evidence as was available. He could have, the majority says, examined the names of the 60 jurors summoned for duty on the panel. I think the majority relies more on theory than reality. An examination of the 60 jurors summoned for duty could not have revealed which of those jurors would ultimately find their way into the courtroom to form the panel from which defendant had to select the petit trial jury. Obviously almost half of these names were somehow culled, or for some other reason did not appear for jury duty on the day defendant’s case was called for trial. It was not until defendant arrived in the courtroom that he knew, or could have known, that the panel from which his petit jury was to be selected contained not a single member of his race. Faced with that circumstance I think defendant should have been entitled to inquire into the reasons and be given an opportunity to present evidence on the point he raised.
*486“Whether the defendant can establish the alleged racial discrimination or not, due process of law demands that he have his day in court on this matter, and such day he does not have, unless he has a reasonable opportunity and time to investigate and produce his evidence, if he has any.” State v. Perry, 248 N.C. 334, 339, 103 S.E. 2d 404 (1958); accord, State v. Inman, 260 N.C. 311, 132 S.E. 2d 613 (1963). In both Perry and Inman new trials were granted under circumstances quite similar to those presented by defendant in this case.