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Article: White defendants can claim excluding blacks from grand juries unconstitutional, Supreme Court rules.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 21, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON _ The Supreme Court, extending its effort to root out racial bias in choosing jurors, ruled Tuesday that white criminal defendants can claim blacks were unconstitutionally excluded from the grand juries that indicted them.
``Regardless of his or her skin color, the accused suffers a significant injury ... when the composition of the grand jury is tainted by racial discrimination,'' Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court in a Louisiana case.
A grand jury begins the criminal process in the federal court system and in 22 states by deciding whether to accuse a person of crimes and what charges to bring.
By a unanimous ...