Discussion: Lawsuit Alleges Conflict Of Interest In Texas Biker Gang Shooting Grand Jury

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Discussion for article #238341

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think if this were a picture of a black gang and police were involved all you would see were body bags , not bikers sittin down smokein cigs

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Sadly true. The body bags would be as plentiful as fat fucks on Harleys.

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James Head’s presence as foreman of the randomly-selected 12-person panel

This surprises me. It’s not common in the more populous counties (and McClennan is one; hell, Brown was one) to use random selection of grand jurors. The key-man system, using appointed commissioners to select a cross-section of the community’s civic-minded, is far more usual.

Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated, Code of Criminal Procedure:

Art. 19.01. APPOINTMENT OF JURY COMMISSIONERS; SELECTION WITHOUT JURY COMMISSION.

(a) The district judge, at or during any term of court, shall appoint not less than three, nor more than five persons to perform the duties of jury commissioners, and shall cause the sheriff to notify them of their appointment, and when and where they are to appear. The district judge shall, in the order appointing such commissioners, designate whether such commissioners shall serve during the term at which selected or for the next succeeding term. Such commissioners shall receive as compensation for each day or part thereof they may serve the sum of Ten Dollars, and they shall possess the following qualifications:

1. Be intelligent citizens of the county and able to read and write the English language;
2. Be qualified jurors in the county;                  
3. Have no suit in said court which requires intervention of a jury;         
4. Be residents of different portions of the county;  and                     
5. The same person shall not act as jury commissioner more than once in any 12-month period.

(b)  In lieu of the selection of prospective jurors by means of a jury commission, the district judge may direct that 20 to 125 prospective grand jurors be selected and summoned, with return on summons, in the same manner as for the selection and summons of panels for the trial of civil cases in the district courts.  The judge shall try the qualifications for and excuses from service as a grand juror and impanel the completed grand jury in the same manner as provided for grand jurors selected by a jury commission.
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Maybe Obama should order the Army to take over Texas. Something is really wrong down there. They don’t seem to be able to think logically.