Vegas judge tosses out Mayweather jury pool

Christina Almeida

Thursday, July 28, 2005 | 9:20 a.m.

LAS VEGAS -- The domestic violence trial of world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was delayed Wednesday after a judge dismissed the jury pool because of a lack of black jurors.

District Court Judge David Wall said a new jury pool would be brought in today, with opening arguments possible later in the day.

Mayweather has been charged with felony battery constituting domestic violence for a 2003 incident involving his former girlfriend, who is the mother of three of his children.

Mayweather's lawyer Richard Wright challenged the 50-person jury pool because there was only one prospective black juror, an East African man who was dismissed because of language difficulties.

"It's not representative of a cross-section of the community," Wright said in court, noting that Mayweather is black. "They obviously have their own experiences and values not shared by non-African-Americans."

Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Chrysanthis described the lack of black jurors as akin to a lightning strike.

"It is completely random," Chrysanthis told the judge. "There is no guarantee if we were to get another jury pool we would get any African-Americans."

But Wall said that "out of an abundance of caution" he would grant the defense's request.