The Marshall Project

You Can Get Kicked Out of a Jury Pool For Supporting Black Lives Matter

But is it legal? A California appeals court is going to decide.

Questioning a potential juror named Crishala Reed, the prosecutor homed in on a sentence from Reed’s questionnaire.

“I support Black Lives Matter,” she had written.

The prosecutor asked Reed if she supported “destroying other people’s property.” Reed said no. After the questioning, the prosecutor used a peremptory strike, where no reason is required, to remove Reed from the jury for the 2016 trial.

She looked around the jury box and didn’t see any other Black people, Reed told The Marshall Project.

“I felt targeted,” Reed said. “It was a life-changing experience for me, personally. And I still talk about it to this day. I tell my kids about it. Not

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