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Taking Witherspoon Seriously: The Search For Death-Qualified Jurors, Eric Schnapper
Taking Witherspoon Seriously: The Search For Death-Qualified Jurors, Eric Schnapper
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This Article assesses, in light of fifteen years of judicial experience under Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510 (1968), the meaning and impact of that decision and the practical and legal problems that arise in its application. The analysis draws heavily on actual voir dires reported in published opinions and considers the problems that judges and attorneys face when attempting to distinguish jurors who cannot be excluded under Witherspoon(commonly referred to as "death-qualified" jurors) from jurors who may be excluded for cause. Part II discusses the ways in which Witherspoon altered the law regarding jury selection in capital …