WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure › Chapter 121

28 U.S.C. 1863: Plan for random jury selection

Created in 1968 by Public Law 90-274. Changed by 4 later laws. 1 bill in this Congress would change it.

This Congress

  • S. 3897 Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026 · passed senate · would change (b)

How it got here

1992

  • Pub. L. 102–572 inserted at end "The plan for the district of Massachusetts may require the names of prospective jurors to be selected from the resident list provided for in chapter 234A, Massachusetts General Laws, or comparable authority, rather than from voter lists." · (b)

1988

  • Pub. L. 100–702, §802(b), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted "except as provided in subparagraph (B),", and added subpar. (B). · (b)
  • Pub. L. 100–702, §802(b), amended par. (6) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: "specify those groups of persons or occupational classes whose members shall be barred from jury service on the ground that they are exempt. Such groups or classes shall be exempt onl… · (b)

1978

  • Pub. L. 95–572 struck out par. (7) relating to random jury selection plan provision for fixing the distance, in miles or in travel time, from each place of holding court beyond which prospective jurors residing should, on individual request, be excused from jury service on th… · (b)

1972

  • Pub. L. 92–269 inserted provisions requiring the master jury wheel to be emptied and refilled in not greater than four years intervals. · (b)

1968

  • Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions requiring a written plan covering the random selection of jurors by each United States District Court and the adoption, review, and modification of the plan for provisions authorizing district judges to exclude or excuse for good cause persons call… · (a)
  • Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions setting out the nine required features of a plan for random jury selection, including management by commission or clerk, selection from voter registration lists, detailed procedures for selecting names, a master jury wheel, excused or exempted grou… · (b)
  • Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions covering the transmittal of the plan to a reviewing panel and the modification thereof for provisions prohibiting the exclusion of any citizen from juror service on account of race or color. · (c)
  • Pub. L. 90–274 added subsec. (d). · (d)

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.