Title

The Z-Test for Percentages: A Statistical Tool to Detect Pretextually Neutral Juror Challenges

Abstract

In the article, I discuss the potential use of public opinion polls to measure the discriminatory effect of certain questions in jury selection. While the laws surrounding race and gender based jury selection are known to most lawyers, there has been little scrutiny on questions that might be posed to potential jurors that are facially neutral, yet have a discriminatory impact. This article examines a number of such questions and offers a statistical test to determine whether a proposed question has, in fact, a 98% certainty of having a discriminatory effect if relied upon in jury selection.

Disciplines

Courts | Criminal Law | Criminal Procedure | Internet Law | Law | Litigation | Science and Technology Law

Date of this Version

April 2006