Supreme Court: Jurors should not remain private if there’s racial bias
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that jury deliberations should not remain private if those deliberations are married by racial bias.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that jury deliberations should not remain private if those deliberations are married by racial bias.
The case, Pena Rodriguez v. Colorado, No. 15-606, reached the Supreme Court after a juror said of the defendant, “I think he did it because he’s Mexican, and Mexican men take whatever they want.” Rodriguez was convicted of three misdemeanors after the jury deadlocked on a felony charge.
In considering the case, the Supreme Court had to weigh out the Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury with the requirement that jury deliberations be kept secret. Ultimately, the Supreme Court came down on the side of the Sixth Amendment.
“The nation must continue to make strides to overcome race-based discrimination,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority, which also consisted of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. “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 and must be confronted in egregious cases.”
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the dissenting opinion, stating, “This is a startling development, and although the court tries to limit the degree of intrusion, it is doubtful that there are principled grounds for preventing the expansion of today’s holding.” Alito was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Clarence Thomas.
