A Hispanic man facing the death penalty is protesting after a Spirit Lake Sioux Nation man and an African-American woman were the only people removed from the jury pool.

Lawyers for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. say the Spirit Lake man was removed because he is Indian. But U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson said there were other reasons, besides race, to disqualify the man for jury duty.

The Spirit Lake man said he believed in the death penalty only in extreme cases, the judge noted. He had a "liberal" bias because he is a college professor in social studies and his brother was recently released from prison, Erickson said.

Rodriguez is on trial in Grand Forks for the kidnap and death of a college student.

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Defense attorneys protest all-white jury (The Grand Forks Herald 8/11)