I am very aware of the popular belief out there that, we live in a time of sharply decreasing faith in the criminal justice system. The historic mistreatment of African-Americans at the hands of the criminal justice system is widely acknowledged, and no one would agree that the vestiges of those tragic practices have all been removed. But no doubt in my mind that progress has been recorded.
Americans have tried to address these problems over the years by requiring objective, race-neutral justifications for government actions within the criminal justice system. We have, for example, required that the jury representation be composed of a fair cross-section of the community. In the case of Batson v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court outlawed the use
Americans have tried to address these problems over the years by requiring objective, race-neutral justifications for government actions within the criminal justice system. We have, for example, required that the jury representation be composed of a fair cross-section of the community. In the case of Batson v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court outlawed the use