LENGTHY JURY LIST MAY RESULT IN VIOLATION OF RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY
An overly-large list, unaccompanied by limiting instructions, serves to dilute the effect of peremptory challenges, thus violating an essential part of a defendant’s right to trial by jury. US v. Ricks, 802 F.2d 731 (D.C. Cir. 1986).
In Ricks, the court held that if a list contains more names than are needed, the court must expressly point out the portion of the list which contains the correct numbers of venirepersons from which actual selection will be made in order to achieve a jury.
