Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

The Constitution does not require a jury of twelve men and women t o be representative of America’s diverse ethnic, racial, and economic groups (Donaldson v. California, 1971). Although there is concern whether prospective juror pools emulate shifting racial and ethnic populations, (Fukari, 1996), it is unconstitutional to use “race conscious means” to create a racially balanced jury pool. (United States v. Ovalle, 1998). The U.S. Hispanic population grew from 9.1 million in 1970 to 35.3 million in 2000, an increase of nearly four times, and 53 million in 2012, an increase of nearly six times (Pew Research Center, 2014). Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S., making up 17% of the population. By the year 2060, it is projected that Hispanics will constitute 31% of the national U.S. population (Krogstad, 2014). The shortage of minorities, especially Hispanics, on juries is particularly distressing because of additional factors that lead to underrepresentation—factors such as Hispanics who are noncitizens or lack the required English competency for jury service. (Carvone and Plaut, 2014). This study identified 61 Hispanic counties in Texas where the Hispanic population was 50% and higher and analyzed available Texas county websites in accordance with American Judicature Society guidelines (American Judicature Society, 2014) for creating a jury information website. The results contribute to the literature for future Web design by counties with a large percentage of Hispanic population who wish to utilize website design guidelines to enhance jury response and help solve the problem of minority under-representation on juries.

Publication Title

Journal of Criminal Justice and Legal Issues

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