28 USC § 1862 - Discrimination prohibited

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t28/s1862"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "28 USC § 1862 - Discrimination prohibited"
title_number: 28
title_name: "JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "1862"
section_name: "Discrimination prohibited"
chapter_number: 121
chapter_name: "JURIES; TRIAL BY JURY"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "PROCEDURE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 952; Pub. L. 90–274, § 101, Mar. 27, 1968, 82 Stat. 54; Pub. L. 96–417, title III, § 302(c), Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1739.)"
---


# § 1862. Discrimination prohibited

No citizen shall be excluded from service as a grand or petit juror in the district courts of the United States or in the Court of International Trade on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status.

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**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 952; Pub. L. 90–274, § 101, Mar. 27, 1968, 82 Stat. 54; Pub. L. 96–417, title III, § 302(c), Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1739.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

This section makes provision for specific exemption of classes of citizens usually excused from jury service in the interest of the public health, safety, or welfare. The inclusion in the jury list of persons so exempted usually serves only to waste the time of the court.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1980— prohibited discrimination against service as juror in the Court of International Trade.

1968— substituted provisions prohibiting discrimination against citizens in their service as jurors because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status for provisions identifying three groups as exempt from jury service, including members of the armed forces on active duty, members of fire or police departments, and public officers actively engaged in the performance of official duties.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , and applicable with respect to civil actions pending on or commenced on or after such date, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1968 Amendment

Amendment by  effective 270 days after , except as to cases in which an indictment has been returned or a petit jury empaneled prior to such effective date, see , set out as a note under .