Jury Duty and Historical Memory
When they pre-screen potential jurors they always ask if any juror is racist or belongs to a racist group. A lot of people are racist but don't acknowledge that to themselves. When I have done jury duty I have never seen a potential juror be excluded on that basis even though I live in Dallas, Texas and obviously there is a large fraction of the local population with racist bias.
What I am proposing is to screen out racist potential jurors by asking questions related to their historical consciousness which would reveal racist attitudes. This one particular focus I have taken is because I do study this one particular branch of history intensively and I also study the neo-Confederate movement. I think there might be other areas which would work to exclude jurors.
Importantly I want to have this pre-screening to be exclusion of a potential juror for cause. There are potential jurors that the prosecuting and defense lawyers can exclude for cause and then there is a set number that they can exclude without cause. Supporting the Confederacy or belonging to a neo-Confederate group should be the basis of excluding for cause.
So far I have written this one article and I have written the local Texas Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot and I didn't get a reply. I suggest that if others could write their district attorneys it could be adopted someplace which would open it up for discussion elsewhere as something to be adopted.
The essay is online at Black Commentator at this link:
https://blackcommentator.com/507/507_confederacy_jury_selection_sebesta_hague_guests_share.html
What I am proposing is to screen out racist potential jurors by asking questions related to their historical consciousness which would reveal racist attitudes. This one particular focus I have taken is because I do study this one particular branch of history intensively and I also study the neo-Confederate movement. I think there might be other areas which would work to exclude jurors.
Importantly I want to have this pre-screening to be exclusion of a potential juror for cause. There are potential jurors that the prosecuting and defense lawyers can exclude for cause and then there is a set number that they can exclude without cause. Supporting the Confederacy or belonging to a neo-Confederate group should be the basis of excluding for cause.
So far I have written this one article and I have written the local Texas Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot and I didn't get a reply. I suggest that if others could write their district attorneys it could be adopted someplace which would open it up for discussion elsewhere as something to be adopted.
The essay is online at Black Commentator at this link:
https://blackcommentator.com/507/507_confederacy_jury_selection_sebesta_hague_guests_share.html
The Following Sections:
The following sections are a section devoted to relevant news articles and also correspondance I have done locally and the correspondance of others if there proves to be any asking District Attorney's to adopt this screening practice.
Letter to John Creuzot, District Attorney for Dallas County, Texas
I have not gotten as of 12/25/2020 a reply. Click on the link below for the letter.
News articles
Forthcoming.