A Chattanooga attorney has filed a motion claiming Hamilton County’s jury pool selection process is unconstitutional because it garners disproportionately white juries relative to the local population.
“This isn’t a situation where anyone is doing anything ‘wrong,'” attorney John Cavett said by phone. “There’s nobody that is making bad decisions. There’s nobody that’s negligent.”
The selection process relies solely on driver’s license data.
White residents are overrepresented in that data, which produces racially skewed jury pools, the motion filed by Cavett states.
Cavett filed the motion on behalf of Jonathan Parker, who is accused of attempted especially aggravated robbery, possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony and possession of marijuana for resale, ahead of trial, according the Hamilton County Criminal Court website.