Posted on 07/25/2005 3:18:37 PM PDT by toddlintown
A judge's comments in recent months that she would refuse to seat an all-white jury have raised eyebrows at Cook County Criminal Court and questions about whether the judge acted inappropriately.
"Folks, you all know I have a rule; I don't seat all white jurors," Circuit Judge Evelyn Clay said as a jury was being picked to hear a murder trial last month, according to court transcripts.
-snip-
Some lawyers who work at the Criminal Courts Building said they see no problem with a judge taking a stand for diversity on juries. "I see her now as a leader in forward thinking," lawyer Sam Adam Jr. said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Criminal prosecutors and insurance defense attorneys routinely strike black people just because they're black. Which is grounds for reversal on appeal. And judges hate to get reversed.
Speaking as a former Chicago resident (1997-1999), how is it even possible to have an all-white jury in Cook County?
If this quote is correct, she's not saying she wouldn't seat all white juries.
She's excluding any individual who doesn't have a little color in their blood.
If we get to the point where juries must be selected strictly by quotas, we're in deep doo-doo.
http://www.chicagocouncil.org/news/st_evaluations/1102summary.pdf#search='judge%20Evelyn%20Clay'
bttt
LOL!
Now it makes sense.
So let me get this straight. It's OK to have an all-black jury, as in the OJ Simpson criminal trial, but not an all-white jury in Chicago.
That doesn't work anymore.
I don't think we'll ever get to the point where juries are selected by quotas. Judges used to practice law, they know that picking a jury is an art, at best, and mysticism, at worst. But knocking all minorities off a jury is something that draws scrutiny.
*liquid whistle of amazement*
As well it should. But if it comes to the point where a judge won't allow a qualified juror to be seated in favor of someone of color who is not, that should be reversible error as well.
C'mon. Give me a break!
IIRC, there was one honkey on the OJ jury.
Of course, this IS Cook County. It just might fly anyway.
The last time I had jury duty, every black person that was selected to serve before me claimed they were a Jehovah's Witness and it was against their religion to sit in judgment of another person.
After about 10 years, my number seems to have come up again for September of this year and if the judge brings this subject up I'll point out that fact if happens to the case again.
The law only prohibits the systematic exclusion of minority jurors without a race neutral reason. If this Judge refused to seat an all white jury even though there was no systematic exclusion of minorities it would be a no-brainer basis for having the judgment reversed on appeal.
In this state, at least, if she does this it's ground for reversal. The judge doesn't pick the jury - the parties do.
Talk about an idiot!
Then again, "that's the Chicago way..." (to swipe an old movie phrase)
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