Attorney Kevin Gough stated this past Wed that he doesn’t want any more black pastors in the courtroom for the Ahmaud Arbery case after Al Sharpton appeared in person to support the family.
Is this an absolute admission that he understands the jury itself Is biased? (with a majority of white jurors and only one black juror). If the accused are not racists why aren’t their “peers” people from all walks of life including more blacks on the jury?
The attorney who is defending William “Roddie” Bryan, the white man beside the father and son informed Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley of his concern that Al Sharpton’s presence in court this past Wednesday was an attempt to intimidate the white jury which is disproportionate considering the area’s population with only one black juror hearing the case.
What if there was a rule that said no more all-white juries for black cases? Actually, there IS a law, “A right to a speedy trial with a jury of your peers” and while this works in the defendant’s case for this instance and for this trial, it has been consistently ignored when a black man or woman is the accused. This is also why we should not shun jury duty, there should be no excuses to have disproportionate juries.
“In all criminal cases, the defendant has the constitutional right to have a jury of their peers at trial. This right can be found in the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution where it states, ‘the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury.’”
Could Gough appear to be depending on the jury to be biased after that statement? Perhaps more black pastors should join Sharpton.
