Peremptory Challenges in Jury Selection
January 27, 20223:00 PM ET
On January 1, 2022, Arizona became the first state in the nation to eliminate peremptory challenges, the ability of attorneys or parties to object to selecting a proposed juror without stating a reason and without the court’s approval. Under a new Arizona Supreme Court rule, potential jurors can only be excluded for cause such as acknowledged or determined bias related to the participants or circumstances in a case. The new rule supports a growing body of research and data that reveals peremptory strikes often discriminate against people of color in state and local jury selection.The National Association for Presiding Judges (NAPCO) is hosting a webinar called "Arizona’s Groundbreaking Venture…Eliminating Peremptory Challenges in Jury Selection," at 3 PM ET on Thursday, January 27. It will feature a thoughtful discussion about the process and data that brought about the change together with the steps the Arizona courts intend to take moving forward and the plan to measure the impact of the changes.
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