avery georgia argued april decided may notwithstanding timely challenge ground racial discrimination contrary equal protection clause fourteenth amendment array petit jurors selected try case state petitioner negro convicted rape names prospective jurors selected jury commissioners names white persons printed white tickets names negroes yellow tickets placed together jury box judge drew number tickets box testified without contradiction discriminated drawing tickets drawn handed sheriff entrusted clerk whose duty arrange tickets type final form list persons called serve panel persons panel jury selected none negro although many negroes available service held conviction reversed pp record case petitioner made prima facie showing discrimination organization particular jury panel pp petitioner proved prima facie case discrimination selection jury burden upon state overcome prima facie case failed pp georgia trial petitioner convicted rape sentenced death georgia affirmed granted certiorari reversed frank gleason argued cause filed brief petitioner blackshear deputy assistant attorney general georgia argued cause respondent brief eugene cook attorney general lamar sizemore assistant attorney general paul webb chief justice vinson delivered opinion petitioner tried rape superior fulton county georgia convicted sentenced death georgia affirmed overruling petitioner contention jury convicted selected means repugnant equal protection clause fourteenth amendment granted certiorari review claim indictment upon petitioner tried returned grand jury walker county georgia change venue granted cause removed fulton county proper pleadings petitioner negro challenged array petit jurors selected try case charged discrimination practiced members race testimony taken thereafter trial overruled challenge salient facts developed hearing undisputed georgia law task organizing panels petit jurors criminal cases falls upon county board jury commissioners discharging responsibility commissioners stated intervals select prospective jurors county tax returns list printed names white persons list printed white tickets names negroes printed yellow tickets tickets white yellow placed jury box judge superior draws number tickets box tickets handed sheriff turn entrusts clerk clerk duty arrange tickets type final form list persons called serve panel approximately sixty persons selected make panel jury particular case drawn judge picked tickets bearing names persons composing panel testified ever practiced discrimination way discharge duty contradictory evidence yet fact remains single negro panel state concedes negroes available jury service fulton county told negroes generally serve juries courts county question must decide based upon independent analysis record whether petitioner made sufficient showing discrimination organization particular panel think jury commissioners officials responsible selection panel constitutional duty follow procedure course conduct operate discriminate selection jurors racial grounds hill texas failed duty conviction must reversed matter strong evidence petitioner guilt law established decisions spanning seventy years interpretation meaning equal protection petitioner charge discrimination jury selection case springs jury commissioners use white yellow tickets obviously practice makes easier discriminate mind discriminate practice authorization georgia statutes simply enjoin commissioners select upright intelligent men serve jurors important note georgia case specifically disapproved use separately colored tickets fulton county saying constituted prima facie evidence discrimination agree even white yellow tickets drawn jury box without discrimination opportunity available resort stages selection process view case us single negro selected serve panel sixty though many available think petitioner certainly established prima facie case discrimination affirmed however petitioner failed prove particular act discrimination particular officer responsible selection jury state argues petitioner burden fill factual vacuum agree vacuum one state must fill moving sufficient evidence dispel prima facie case discrimination held georgia recently followed decisions prima facie case discrimination presented burden falls forthwith upon state overcome state failed meet test reversed justice jackson took part consideration decision case footnotes norris alabama neal delaware rogers alabama norris alabama supra pierre louisiana cassell texas code ann see crumb state norris alabama supra hill texas patton mississippi crumb state supra justice reed concurring concur reversal concurrence based undisputed facts presented record facts make prima facie case discrimination selection petitioner jury follows population fulton county negroes comprise tax receiver digest jury list selected white citizens negroes jury list year question white negroes list number drawn service divisions evidently week term service venire trial jury avery selected numbered white facts establish prima facie case discrimination record rebut justice frankfurter concurring undisputed drawings made box containing white colored slips differentiated according racial lines white white veniremen yellow colored slips indiscriminately placed box drawn box county judge testimony recent member county board jury commissioners use white yellow slips designed purposes racial discrimination shown serve purpose far particular facts case concerned may accept testimony judge drew slips box honesty purpose testimony refute fact opportunities discriminate experience tells us inevitably differentiating slips used case opportunities obvious partly aperture box sufficiently wide make open view color slips partly subsequent use abuse made slips however fairly drawn however may opportunity working discriminatory system exists whenever mechanism jury selection component part slips differentiates white colored mechanism certainly countenanced discriminatory result reached stark resulting phenomenon somehow despite fact slips yellow negro got onto panel jurors avery jury selected mind justice merely eyes blind attribute occurrence mere fortuity accordingly concur judgment