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The History Of The Special (Struck) Jury In The United States And Its Relation To Voir Dire Practices, The Reasonable Cross-Section Requirement, And Peremptory Challenges, James Oldham

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

In this Article, Professor Oldham provides a unique historical study of the special, or struck, jury in the United States. First, Professor Oldham discusses the influence of the 1730 English statute on eighteenth- century American law and reviews the procedures of several states in which the struck jury remains valid, in addition to the once authorized procedures that states have since declared invalid. He also analyzes the relationship between the struck jury and peremptory challenges. Second, Professor Oldham analyzes the special qualifications of the jurors comprising special juries in the context of the "blue ribbon," or "high-class, " jury, the …