Question

Read the excerpt from the 2005 Supreme Court case Miller-El v. Dretke and answer the question.

Defendants are harmed, of course, when racial discrimination in jury selection compromises the right of trial by impartial jury, but racial minorities are harmed more generally, for prosecutors drawing racial lines in picking juries establish "state-sponsored group stereotypes rooted in, and reflective of, historical prejudice."
— Miller-El v. Dretke (2005)
Based on this excerpt, which founding principle was the Supreme Court's decision based on?

A.
equal justice under the law

B.
individual rights

C.
checks and balances

D.
federalism

Answer 1

A. equal justice under the law

Explanation: The passage condemns racial discrimination in jury selection and emphasizes equal protection and fair treatment for racial minorities—core to the principle of equal justice under the law, not checks and balances or federalism.