Strauder v. West Virginia

Following is the case brief for Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303 (1880) Case Summary of Strauder v. West Virginia: West Virginia had a law that declared that only white men may serve on juries. Strauder, an African-American who was indicted for murder, sought to remove his trial to federal court because West Virginia’s law was unconstitutional. The state […]

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Grand Jury

Since colonial times, America has embraced the custom of the grand jury in criminal law. This panel of 12 to 23 ordinary citizens reviews evidence, hears sworn testimony, and otherwise conducts an investigation into alleged criminal conduct, to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the accused. This method of establishing “probable cause” to charge a person with a […]

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