Crawford v. Hinds County Board of Supervisors,
(5th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2021)

Speakers

Peter Blanck
Host: Peter Blanck, JD, Ph.D. –  Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute and University Professor at Syracuse University
Andrew Bizer
Attorney: Andrew Bizer, JD  – lead attorney for the plaintiff, with the law firm Bizer & Dereus, New Orleans, LA
Scott Crawford
Plaintiff: Scott Crawford, Ph.D – advocate for people with disabilities

Case Summary

In 2017, wheelchair user Dr. Scott Crawford, a retired clinical neuropsychologist, sued Hinds County, Mississippi under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as he was unable to perform jury duty in 2012 and 2015 because of the inaccessibility of the Hinds County courthouse. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee of the Southern District of Mississippi found that Crawford had proven the Hinds County courthouse was not accessible to people with disabilities. The judge also reversed his earlier ruling that Crawford had standing, finding that the possibility of being excluded from future jury duty was too speculative. On appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court, Dr. Crawford argued he has standing both as a juror and as an engaged citizen. On June 16, 2021, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court found that Dr. Crawford did, indeed, have standing.

Keywords: jury duty, courthouse access, places of public accommodation, reasonable modification to policy and practice, ADA Title II

Recording

Resources

Episode 3 Resources – Crawford v. Hinds County, Mississippi