Georgia v. McCollum (1991)
- Docket
- 91-372
- Decided
- 1991-01-01
Summary
Question: Does the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibit a criminal defendant's use of peremptory challenges to discriminate against potential jurors on the basis of race? Conclusion: Yes. In a majority opinion authored by Justice Harry A. Blackmun, the Court found that the exercise of peremptory challenges in a racially discriminatory manner not only violates the rights of potential jurors, but also undermines the integrity of the judicial system. Since the Court also determined that a peremptory challenge did constitute state action, it found the use of peremptory challenge for the purpose of racial discrimination to be a breach of the Equal Protection Clause. Consequently, the decision of the Georgia Supreme Court was reversed.