By Madeleine Jennings Associate Editor, Vol. 22 In 1934, Oregon voters amended their Constitution to allow for non-unanimous jury verdicts in all non-first degree murder and non-capital cases.[1] The Louisiana Constitution requires unanimity only in capital cases.[2] Grounded in xenophobia and anti-Semitism, the Oregon law was passed by a ballot measure following the trial of a […]
right to jury
UPDATE: Court recognizes racial discrimination in Foster, raises procedural concerns
By Matt Johnson Associate Editor, Vol. 21 The Supreme Court listened to oral arguments on Monday, November 2 for Foster v. Chatman, a case this author looked at in more detail in a previous piece. The case centers around Timothy Tyrone Foster, an African-American man who was eighteen years old when convicted of murder by […]
Reconsidering Batson: Supreme Court to review death sentence handed down by all-white jury
By Matt Johnson Associate Editor, Vol. 21 The right to a trial by a jury of one’s peers is a right afforded to all criminal defendants facing a sentence of six months or more. Yet in the aftermath of an unpopular decision, the composition of a jury is often viewed as a possible source of […]
