PEOPLE v. ALEXANDER Case Brief
Complete case briefs with LSD+
Every LSD.Law brief pairs a full IRAC analysis with opinion summaries at three levels of depth, written by a team of Harvard Law and MIT graduates - a quick synopsis when you are pressed for time, the complete reasoning when you need to go deep.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A defendant challenged his murder conviction, arguing the jury pool unconstitutionally underrepresented minorities. The court found his statistical evidence established a prima facie violation and remanded the case for the prosecution to rebut this showing, clarifying the state’s burden in fair cross-section challenges.
Legal Significance: This case clarifies that significant statistical disparity between a cognizable group’s presence in the community and on jury venires is sufficient to establish a prima facie violation of the fair cross-section requirement, shifting the burden to the state to justify its jury selection procedures.
PEOPLE v. ALEXANDER Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Larry Curtis Alexander was convicted of murder with special circumstances and robbery. On appeal, he challenged the jury selection process in Kern County, arguing it violated his constitutional right to a jury drawn from a fair cross-section of the community. Alexander presented statistical evidence based on 1980 census data showing that Kern County’s general population was 5% Black and 18% Spanish-surnamed. In contrast, the jury venires from which his jury was selected were composed of only 3.2% Black and 11.8% Spanish-surnamed individuals. This resulted in absolute disparities of 1.8% and 6.2%, respectively. An expert testified that the probability of such disparities occurring by random chance was virtually zero. Alexander contended this underrepresentation was due to the jury commissioner’s informal practice of excusing potential jurors for hardship, often by telephone and without written standards or judicial oversight. The prosecution, relying on then-existing case law, presented almost no evidence to rebut Alexander’s prima facie case.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a defendant establish a prima facie violation of the Sixth Amendment’s fair cross-section requirement by presenting statistical evidence of a significant disparity between the proportion of cognizable minority groups in the general population and their representation in jury venires?
Yes, the defendant’s statistical evidence was sufficient to establish a prima facie Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim
IRAC Legal Analysis
About IRAC analysis
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the structure professors expect in exam answers. Each LSD.Law brief states the issue, the governing rule with citations, the court's application of that rule, and the conclusion - the same reasoning pattern you will use on exams and in practice.
Legal Issue
Does a defendant establish a prima facie violation of the Sixth Amendment’s fair cross-section requirement by presenting statistical evidence of a significant disparity between the proportion of cognizable minority groups in the general population and their representation in jury venires?
Conclusion
This case provides a framework for analyzing fair cross-section challenges based on Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis
Legal Rule
To establish a prima facie violation of the fair cross-section requirement, a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint
Legal Analysis
The court applied the three-part test from *Duren v. Missouri*. It was Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lo
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A felony-murder special circumstance finding was reversed because the jury was