Avery v. Georgia/Concurrence Reed

by Stanley Forman Reed

United States Supreme Court

345 U.S. 559

Avery  v.  Georgia

 Argued: April 30, 1953. --- Decided: May 25, 1953

Mr. Justice REED, concurring.

I concur in the reversal. My concurrence is based on the undisputed facts presented by the record. The facts that make a prima facie case of discrimination in the selection of petitioner's jury are as follows. The population of Fulton County is 691,797. Negroes comprise 25% or 165,814. The tax receiver's digest from which the jury list is selected has 105,035 white citizens and 17,736 Negroes-14%. The jury list for the year in question had 20,509 white and 1,115 Negroes-5%. From that list a number, 150 to 200, were drawn for service on each of the divisions of the court. Evidently these were for a week or a term's service. The venire from which the trial jury for Avery was selected numbered 60. All were white.

These facts establish a prima facie case of discrimination which the record does not rebut.

Notes