What is a jury peer?

Both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions guarantee a criminal defendant the right to a trial by jury of peers. But who are the "peers" of this Defendant? Defendant’s peers are other persons who possess a valid Class A Commercial Driver License.

The United States Supreme Court has stated what a jury of one’s peers is in the case of Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303 [never over-turned]: "the jury should be drawn from a group "composed of the peers or equals [of the defendant]; that is, of his neighbors, fellows, associates, persons having the same legal status in society as he holds." [bracketed comment added by Defendant]. The phrase "jury of one's peers" is not included in the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, however, the courts have consistently interpreted peer to mean one’s "equal" legal status. Webster defines the word, ‘PEER’, a noun, as ‘One’s Equal.’

This Defendant’s legal status is that of a Class A Commercial Driver and hundreds of thousands of his "peers" maintain like status as he. One need merely observe the thousands of semi-trucks and trailers hauling freight along this nation’s highways to understand the "eguals" and "peers" of this Defendant—having the same "legal status in society as this Defendant maintains."

Defendant lawfully demands a jury of his peers who, like him, hold a valid Commercial Class A license. The jury must not consist of any persons who hold a Class C or Class B license because this group is not the "peers;" nor do they have the same legal status as Defendant, a Class A Commercial Driver. In fact, Class C drivers—the group of motorist we truckers refer to as "four-wheelers" are especially likely to be prejudiced against truckers, including this Defendant, because they are annoyed by the slower-moving, tractor-trailers they must deal with every day when they drive .

In the voir dire jury selection process, Defendant lawfully demands that all Class C and Class B drivers be eliminated. Only Class A drivers represent a jury of Defendant’s peers as guaranteed by the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. One of the questions Defendant will ask prospective jurors is: "Do you hold a Class C, Class B or Class A license?" Defendant maintains the conviction that a jury consisting of any person who does not hold a valid Class A Commercial License will—more likely than not—be biased against him. If any juror answers that they hold a "Class C" or "Class B" license, then Defendant will request that this juror be eliminated.