Race and jury selection
James Desmond Booth v. Florida
In brief
- Where it stands
- Dismissed
Petition denied.
- What it’s about
- James Desmond Booth asked the Supreme Court to review whether his lawyer could reasonably object to removing a sleeping juror because that juror was the panel’s only Black member, and whether race-based juror-retention decisions are barred.
- Who it affects
- Booth did not get Supreme Court review, and the Court did not resolve the questions he raised.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Court refused to hear the case (denied review), so it did not decide those questions.
Booth’s petition connected a claim about his lawyer’s performance with rules against race-based jury decisions.
Question presented
Whether defense counsel’s decision to object to the removal of a sleeping juror solely because that juror was the only black juror on the panel can constitute a reasonable strategic decision under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984); and whether Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986) and its progeny – particularly Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42 (1992) – prohibit defense counsel from making race-based juror retention decisions?
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
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Brief added: Petition
Court Order added: Lower Court Orders/Opinions
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.