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NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Committed to ending the death penalty and creating a new vision of justice

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Public Safety Officials

George Floyd Memorial

Chauvin trial shows that justice requires diverse, inclusive juries

Apr 22, 2021
No one should have been on the edge of their seat about the verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial. He was caught on video kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd begged for his life. But this is America, where police are almost never held accountable, so we held our breath and prepared for Chauvin to be acquitted. But in this rare case, a jury of six white, four Black and two multiracial people provided a measure of justice, finding Chauvin guilty of murder. Surely, the jury’s diverse makeup helped it reach this much-needed verdict. Yet, it’s exactly this kind of diversity that prosecutors often work to avoid. They strike Black citizens from juries at far higher rates than whites. Then, when they’re accused of violating the law prohibiting racist jury strikes, they offer the flimsiest possible defenses. And no matter how implausible their excuses are, they almost always get away with it.

Chauvin trial shows that justice requires diverse, inclusive juries

April 22, 2021 · Kristin Collins

George Floyd Memorial
George Floyd Memorial

No one should have been on the edge of their seat about the verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial. He was caught on video kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd begged for his life. But this is America, where police are almost never held accountable, so we held our breath and prepared for Chauvin to be acquitted. But in this rare case, a jury of six white, four Black and two multiracial people provided a measure of justice, finding Chauvin guilty of murder. Surely, the jury’s diverse makeup helped it reach this much-needed verdict. Yet, it’s exactly this kind of diversity that prosecutors often work to avoid. They strike Black citizens from juries at far higher rates than whites. Then, when they’re accused of violating the law prohibiting racist jury strikes, they offer the flimsiest possible defenses. And no matter how implausible their excuses are, they almost always get away with it.

Filed Under: Latest News, National News, Public Safety Officials, Racial Bias, Racial Justice Act

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We are excited to introduce NCCADP's Director of C We are excited to introduce NCCADP's Director of Communications: Liv Perkins-Davenport! Liv brings a wealth of experience in communications, advocacy, and program development, most recently working for immigrant justice. Learn more about Liv's background and vision for working with NCCADP here: https://nccadp.org/leadership/ or go to the link in our bio. Welcome Liv!
Our Spring Statewide Coalition Meeting is tomorrow Our Spring Statewide Coalition Meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 3 pm! Register for the zoom link at bit.ly/NCCADPSpring2025Statewide or go to the link in our bio. These quarterly meetings are geared toward our organizational partners and people familar with our work. If you're brand new to our movement please plan to attend our next monthly Info Session on June 30th (registration coming soon).
Reminder our monthly Info Session is tomorrow (Wed Reminder our monthly Info Session is tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 pm! If you've not participated in an NCCADP event before, this is a great introduction to our work and will prepare you for our Spring Quarterly Statewide Meeting which is on May 20th. Register at bit.ly/May2025InfoSession or click on the link in our bio. #NoMoreDeathRow #NCDeathPenalty
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