A federal lawsuit is aiming to end a ban on convicted felons serving on state juries in Manhattan, claiming a law barring the practice discriminates against black New Yorkers.
In the Manhattan federal court suit filed Thursday, public defender Daudi Justin wrote the decades-old law disenfranchises more than one out of every four “otherwise jury-eligible Black residents of New York County.”
The law, the suit claims, violates the Sixth Amendment right to trial by jury and the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection ensured by the US Constitution.
“The reduction in jury diversity compromises the quality of deliberations, erodes public confidence in the fairness of the jury system, and hampers successful reintegration into society,” the suit states.
“The statutory exclusion perpetuates a vicious cycle in Manhattan. The underrepresentation of Black people in the jury pool contributes to disproportionately bad outcomes for Black people in the justice system, which in turn drives their underrepresentation in the jury pool, and so on,” it adds.
Justin, who filed the suit with the New York Civil Liberties Union, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in 2009 and served nearly two years in prison, the complaint states.
After his release, Justin earned his law degree – but is still barred from serving on grand juries, as well as criminal and civil panels in Manhattan because of his record.
The suit alleges the law disproportionately affects black New Yorkers due to decades of “racially biased policing and prosecutorial practices” that targeted people of color.
As a result, according to the complaint, 25% of otherwise eligible black New Yorkers, and 40% of otherwise eligible black men are barred from jury service in Manhattan.
The court system is required to enforce the ban unless the state law is amended, according to a court spokesperson.
With Post Wires
