09.05.08
When Justice peeks
Very interesting post by Dr. Sam Sommers. It begins:
The nation’s eyes have turned to Louisiana once again as the gulf coast starts the recovery from yet another natural disaster. I was originally supposed to travel to New Orleans this week to play a role, albeit minor, in addressing a different, troubling development in the region, one that predates the devastation of Hurricane Katrina three years ago. I was scheduled to testify as an expert in a post-trial hearing regarding racial bias in the legal system, yet another problem with which Louisiana appears all too familiar.
The title of this post (as well as the phrase “racial bias in the legal system”) might typically lead you to think about suspects and defendants receiving differential treatment based on their race. This is, indeed, a persistent problem in the criminal justice system of the United States (and other nations), and it’s a topic to which this blog will devote attention in the near future. But this entry focuses on a different type of bias in the system, one that has potential impactson the treatment of defendants at trial. Specifically, this post addresses the influence of race on how juries are selected. …
