United States v. Ferguson

OPINION AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ JOINT MOTION TO STRIKE THE VENIRE DUE TO AN UNDERREPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS

DAVID M. LAWSON, District Judge.

Trial commenced in this case on May 8, 2012 when 116 prospective jurors were summoned from the Qualified Jury Wheel in the Detroit division of this district. Jury selection was protracted because of pretrial publicity that has exposed exactly one-half of the jury venire to information about the case, some of the defendants, the witnesses, or the attorneys. Midway through the jury selection process, the defendants filed a joint motion seeking…