republic-os/legal/us/code/title-28/chapter-121/section-1861.md

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LegalText	28 U.S.C. § 1861	Declaration of policy	us	united_states_code	code_section	28	JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE	121	JURIES; TRIAL BY JURY	1861	28 U.S.C. § 1861	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc28@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t28/s1861	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-28/usc28.xml	d95cd3e1311a4a6b0767f03e69e66cf3c41da87b6a4b56074a5aeb907a3a19ba	3390f867a2c02f5d0c496269da780795fe19663a090a3040c64a9ee0a541cdcf	baf030e0e9e74b8342902f889a844eb80e85d993d7d7eed727c3a82fcad3686f	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

28 U.S.C. § 1861 - Declaration of policy

Text

It is the policy of the United States that all litigants in Federal courts entitled to trial by jury shall have the right to grand and petit juries selected at random from a fair cross section of the community in the district or division wherein the court convenes. It is further the policy of the United States that all citizens shall have the opportunity to be considered for service on grand and petit juries in the district courts of the United States, and shall have an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 951; Pub. L. 85–315, part V, § 152, Sept. 9, 1957, 71 Stat. 638; Pub. L. 90–274, § 101, Mar. 27, 1968, 82 Stat. 54.)

Notes

Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 411 and 415 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§ 275, 278, 38 Stat. 1164, 1165). The revised section prescribes uniform standards of qualification for jurors in Federal Courts instead of making qualifications depend upon State laws. This is in accord with proposed legislation recommended by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The last paragraph is added to exclude jurors incompetent to serve as jurors in State courts.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1968—Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions declaring the policy of the United States with respect to trial by jury and the opportunity to serve on such juries for provisions setting out the required qualifications of Federal jurors, including age, citizenship, residence, freedom from conviction of certain crimes, ability to read, write, speak, and understand the English language, and capability of rendering efficient jury service. 1957—Pub. L. 85–315 substituted “Qualifications of Federal jurors” for “Qualifications” in section catchline. Pub. L. 85–315 substituted “and who has resided for a period of one year within the judicial district” for “and resides within the judicial district”, and struck out provisions which prohibited service as a grand or petit juror if a person was incompetent to serve as a grand or petit juror by the law of the State in which the district court is held.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1968 AmendmentPub. L. 90–274, § 104, Mar. 27, 1968, 82 Stat. 63, provided that: “This Act [amending this section and sections 1821, 1862 to 1869, and 1871 of this title, repealing section 867 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section] shall become effective two hundred and seventy days after the date of enactment [Mar. 27, 1968]: Provided, That this Act shall not apply in any case in which an indictment has been returned or petit jury empaneled prior to such effective date.”

Short Title of 1978 AmendmentPub. L. 95–572, § 1, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2453, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 1363 and 1875 of this title, amending sections 1863, 1865, 1866, 1869, and 1871 of this title, renumbering section 1363 (relating to construction of references to laws of the United States or Acts of Congress) as section 1364 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1363 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Jury System Improvements Act of 1978’.”

Short TitlePub. L. 90–274, § 1, Mar. 27, 1968, 82 Stat. 53, provided: “That this Act [amending this section and sections 1821, 1862 to 1869, and 1871 of this title, repealing section 867 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section] may be cited as the ‘Jury Selection and Service Act of 1968’.”