419 U.S. 522 (1975) Cited 2,231 times 7 Legal Analyses
Holding unconstitutional a state statute that excluded women from jury service unless they had previously filed written declaration indicating their desire to serve
Holding that the procedure, which struck every fifth non-African-American from the jury wheel, violated the Jury Selection and Service Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution
In Smith, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dealt with the State of Michigan's jury selection process, not that of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Holding that a 12.6% disparity, with African Americans comprising 18.5% of the populace but only 5.9% of grand jurors, was "sufficiently large" to establish unlawful discrimination