This matter involved a significant victory for the privacy interests of potential jurors in Graves County, Kentucky.  At issue were several questions that Graves Circuit Court Judge Timothy Stark included in his juror questionnaire for a death penalty case.  These questions included:

            - What is your religious affiliation?

            - If married, what is your spouse's religious affiliation?

            - How often do you attend church?

            - Do you or your spouse hold an office or position at your church?

A concerned citizen contacted us about these questions and the Court's need for such intrusive information.  After a thorough review of the relevant legal precedents, we concluded that although religious affiliation information may be appropriate subjects of inquiry for potential jurors, it is only appropriate in those cases where the information is directly relevant to the ability to impartially decide the case (e.g. where the case involves allegations of  a religiously-motivated hate crime).  Once we communicated our concerns about the inclusion of these questions, the Administrative Office of the Courts informed us that Judge Stark agreed to refrain from utilizing this questionnaire in the future.