California Juror Challenges on Race, Bias Would be Banned (1)

California attorneys would be prohibited from removing potential jurors on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or religious affiliation under legislation passed by the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 3070 requiring parties to state the reasons why they’re making peremptory challenges was approved Thursday along party lines in the Democratic-controlled chamber. It now moves to the Senate, which will take it up this summer.

It’s been more than 40 years since the California Supreme Court and then the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial bias in the use of peremptory challenges is unconstitutional.

“And yet prosecutors in California continue to ...