Occupy Pat Lykos

[kylejack]

I could be wrong, but I believe one thing they were protesting (on TV news clips) was the all white jury. They had signs and were vocal on this point. I figured that was one item they wanted to talk to the DA about, as if she could control jury selection.

What surprised me was that they apparently did not know it was not in her power to change the way we select juries.

If anyone has once been on a panel for jury selection, they know how it's done.

Well, I'm not so sure. Virtually all of the black jurors (17 of 19, I think I read) were struck by the judge because they had seen the video and had formed an opinion about it. The remaining two were struck by Dick DeGuerin. But the DA's office had objected to defense request for a change of venue. If they had agreed and helped to argue for the change of venue, it might have been to a place further from the city, where people were not as familiar with the video, and where black jurors could be seated.

There's something very wrong with an all-white jury in a county with 33% white people.

[RedScare]

I don't want this to sound like stereotyping, but it is common (and I heard that it happened in this case, too) for Black potential jurors to give up too much information during jury selection. You mentioned one obvious way that this occurs, when potential jurors claim to have formed an opinion on the case. Common sense tells you that you cannot make up your mind until you hear the evidence, but some people just can't help themselves, and say it anyway. As soon as that occurs, the Blacks are kicked off the jury. Of course, whites are kicked off for doing it, too, but it is more obvious when Blacks do so.

Another big reason for few Blacks on the jury is that they show up for jury duty in smaller percentages. When the Black community as a whole realizes that the best way to combat injustice at the courthouse is to show up for jury duty, things will change. But, when you abdicate your duty, you have no one to blame but yourself.

[little frau]

I have always wondered about the percentages of jury duty respondents in relation to race.

We can be sure that when the remainder of the officers are tried, there will be more attention paid to jury selection. And because of what happened in this case, there may be more people who will be reluctant to serve for those trials. One TV reporter made the statement that the 6 jurors on this case had requested their names not be made public.

It would be interesting to hear what they have to say about how they all agreed on not guilty. I understand they did not start out agreeing.

[kylejack]

2 were leaning guilty, 2 were leaning not guilty, and 2 were undecided.

[Fringe]

I don't want this to sound like stereotyping, but it is common (and I heard that it happened in this case, too) for Black potential jurors to give up too much information during jury selection. You mentioned one obvious way that this occurs, when potential jurors claim to have formed an opinion on the case. Common sense tells you that you cannot make up your mind until you hear the evidence, but some people just can't help themselves, and say it anyway. As soon as that occurs, the Blacks are kicked off the jury. Of course, whites are kicked off for doing it, too, but it is more obvious when Blacks do so. Another big reason for few Blacks on the jury is that they show up for jury duty in smaller percentages. When the Black community as a whole realizes that the best way to combat injustice at the courthouse is to show up for jury duty, things will change. But, when you abdicate your duty, you have no one to blame but yourself.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

I hope people don't take this the wrong way but blacks do seem to take a position in favor of someone from their own race more so than other races. I can't say I blame them, but sometimes the evidence is overwhelming (OJ and Michael Vick come to mind, so do several others) and they will still take the side of the black person. This cannot help them when being picked for a jury. Yes there should have been blacks on the jury but I'm not sure it's the district attorneys office's fault there was none.