Interesting article in the ABA Journal which examines State v. Edwin Andujar. In this case, the prosecutor attempted to have a black juror challenged for cause because of the juror's knowledge of the criminal justice system and familiarity with convicted felons. The trial court denied the challenge so the prosecutor conducted a warrant and record check on the juror and discovered an outstanding warrant. The prosecutor presented the information to the trial judge who subsequently removed the juror. The defendant was ultimately convicted and appealed on several grounds one of which involved removal of the juror. In overturning the defendant's conviction the appellate court found that
[r]ecord checks run because of dissatisfaction with a judge's ruling, as was done here, undermine the framework within which the trial proceeds and alters the court's exclusive province in administration of the jury venire. Because the court made no findings of fact concerning the prosecution's selective use of a criminal record check and granted no relief to the defense whatsoever, defendant's conviction must be reversed, his sentence vacated, and the matter remanded for a new trial.
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