By Judge Greg Mathis

Racial disparity in the court system has been a problem for many years. From arrest to trial to sentencing, many African-Americans are all too aware of the legal system’s injustices. Others, however, have failed to acknowledge them. Now, there is solid proof that racial biases can affect a key component of the justice process: the jury. Recent research shows that all-white juries can be, and often are, biased when deciding the fate of a black defendant. Perhaps this “new” evidence can pave the way to change, ensuring juries are diverse and fair.

A study published in the recent issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reveals that diverse juries, especially those that have both black and white jurists, are more likely to hand down a fair verdict than an all-white jury is. Fifty percent of the study’s pForarticipants on the all-white mock juries thought a defendant was guilty — even before deliberations. On the diverse jury, only 34 percent of whites had made up their minds before reviewing the case with their peers.

Researchers aren’t exactly sure why whites on the diverse jury were more open-minded, but experts say that working with minorities may have compelled the whites to hide any racial biases they may have. The experts also believe that whites are more likely to review the case more thoroughly when there are minorities on the jury. In other words, white folks will “act right” when they’re around black (or Latino) folks.

To read more, go to: www.BlackAmericaWeb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/mathis526