The Supreme Court has ruled that judges can disregard a jury verdict and hold a new trial if it emerges that a juror’s racism potentially impacted the outcome of a case. America’s Lawyer Mike Papantonio discusses this.
Transcript of the above video:
Finally tonight, a major victory for America’s jury system.
The Supreme Court has ruled that judges can disregard a jury verdict and hold a new trial if it emerges that a juror’s racism potentially impacted the outcome of a case.
In a 5-to-3 decision, the Court ruled in favor of defendant Miguel Penya Rodriguez, who argued that his Sixth Amendment Right to a fair trial was violated because according to two jurors, another juror claimed he was guilty due to his Mexican descent. In the majority decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote:
“The Nation must continue to make strides to overcome race-based discrimination. The progress that has already been made underlies the Court’s insistence that blatant racial prejudice is antithetical to the functioning of the jury system…”
While our legal system still continues to grapple with systemic racism, this bold statement from Justice Kennedy will hopefully go a long way to lessen the impact of racial bias in the jury room and keep innocent people out of jail.
