The Obama administration has been a giant step for minorities in this country. Our 44th president struggled with his identity, an absentee father, and poverty early in life. His success story, along with his strong family support system, is something all Americans should take pride in. President Obama’s pre-political predicaments allow him to relate to the plights of any minority in this country, poor whites, Latino immigrants and women without health insurance. Feel me?
With that said, allow me to introduce you to, let’s call him Juror X. He’s an elderly black man, who moved to North Carolina after giving 20 plus years of service to the state of New York as a corrections officer. Juror X endured some traumatic experiences as a corrections officer. Once, he was held at gunpoint while being removed from his car by former prisoners of a correctional facility where he worked, a unique circumstance, indeed.
But, what made Juror X unique to me was the fact that he was the only potential juror, of African American descent, that the district attorney would allow my defense counsel to question. For the record, I didn’t want Juror X on my jury. Real talk. But my lead counsel, who was a black man, told me this would probably be our only chance to get a person of color on the jury. So, I followed his advice.
Juror X didn’t bother to tell us about his life altering experiences as a corrections officer, harboring these images as he sat through hours of testimony and speculation about me allegedly kidnapping a white woman, and taking her car. Na mean?
Being the sole person of color on the jury, Juror X displayed highly intense emotions during the jury’s deliberations. When the jurors doubted my role as the perpetrator of this crime, Juror X educated them on his personal experience as a victim.
A juror’s duty is to view the evidence at hand. Not fill in the blanks. Juror X, a minority on my jury was able to sway the perception of certain jurors, by telling them about his kidnapping incident, an action that totally violates his duties as a juror and eventually sends me to death row.
The conclusion of this minority report is simple. President Obama is a man that all Americans can be proud of. As for Juror X, Well, let’s just say he’s a minority at the opposite end of the spectrum. Ya heard?
Nuff Said,
MannofStat
Copyright © 2010 by Leroy E. Mann
I have a real problem with jury trials. I have been a juror many times. Severed on civil and criminal cases. I think it’s so unfair “What gives me the right to judge someone”. As soon as the accuser walks in the courtroom, opinions are being formed Guilty or Not Guilty. Take note Guilty was what I said first! The jurors are given their instruction from the Judge. Very important instructions – deal with the evidence at hand. Do the jurors listen? Some don’t, these Jurors listen to the case and relate it to their own lives, what may have happen to themselves, family, and friends which has nothing to do with the case @ hand. You have people from all walks of life- 50% strong will, 25 %weak minded and; 25% don’t care one way or another. It’s so important for the defense team to pick of that 50% that will be strong minded to come to their own conclusion. Not picking a juror because of the color of his/or her skin! We say justice for all!
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration with jury trials, but it is what our country has built it's judicial system upon. I'm all for the common man or woman weighing in on the guilt or innocence of a fellow citizen. My problem lies with exactly what Mannofstat talks about in this post. Our problem lies with the corrupt system that administers the jury system and the flawed human beings who participate in it. When the stakes are as high as they are for the death row candidate, the true tragedy of our system is revealed. I don't know how we fix this.
ReplyDeleteConcerned Citizen
I appreciate the honesty in both of these anonymous comments. The "Concerned Citizen" recognizes the "true tragedy" of our system and my truth is this: The system can't be fixed by correcting a few errors. You have to start with the people behind the laws in order to fix the laws. Releasing a man/woman from death row or overturning a death sentence to life without parole is not proof that the system works. Feel me?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the 1st comment. The selection of jurors should have nothing to do with the color of skin. Jury selection is the initial proof of whether our system works or not. As an experienced juror, you know that the prosecutor has the upper hand in jury trials. Most jurors tend to believe that the prosecutor only wants justice to be served.
They are unaware of his/her need for a high conviction rate or his/her aspirations of being recognized as a "no nonsense" district attorney, which could eventually lead to a seat on the bench as a judge. Na mean?
Justice is not what's being served in our courtrooms. The D.A's are serving "people" to the death chamber with the help of an unsound crime lab whose experts are willing to say and do just about anything to aid the prosecutors in reaching their ultimate goal. See, “Sabotaging Ballistics Immensely: North Carolina’s SBI is no CSI”, (http://www.word2themasses.blogspot.com/, 8/30/2010). Word is bond!
Keep the comments coming.
Peace,
MannofStat
So right MannofStat!!!!! One other answer to this is VOTE VOTE AND VOTE. People must believe your vote count but you must vote for it to count. Glad ya feel me on my comment Jury Trials!
ReplyDeleteSharon