A More Perfect Jury | Erica White | TEDxSouthwestern Law School

Legal & Ethical Concerns - The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to an impartial jury trial, meaning jurors free of biases [1][11] - Striking a juror based on race is unconstitutional, as per Batson v Kentucky [5][6] - Systemic barriers to becoming a juror, such as felony disenfranchisement, narrow the jury pool and may not reflect an impartial jury [11][12] - Prosecutorial overzealousness to engineer outcomes, not seek justice, violates the Sixth Amendment [10] Case Examples & Legislation - Curtis Flowers was tried six times for the same crime due to the prosecutor continually striking black jurors; the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2019 [7][8] - In Alameda County, California, prosecutors allegedly struck jurors they believed were Jewish due to the belief they would oppose the death penalty [9][10] - The California Racial Justice Act (2020) enables challenges to discrimination in convictions, jury selection, sentencing, and charging [5][13] - Tommy Bonds III case highlights racial profiling, where an officer admitted to stopping him partly because he was black [14][15][16] Call to Action - It is important to challenge discrimination and injustice, even when losing, to push for change [6][16] - Conversations about race, though uncomfortable, are important inside and outside of the courtroom [18]