And the all white jury agreed
So two favorite punching bags of the far right get together in one story. The US Supreme Court (Activist Judges) rule on the need to have diverse juries in trials (special rights). You can read about it in the link below.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1118726245294980.xml&coll=1

Justice David H. Souter, writing the 6-3 decision, said there was strong evidence of prejudice during jury selection. He noted that black jurors were questioned more aggressively about the death penalty, and the pool was "shuffled" at least twice by prosecutors, apparently to increase the chances that whites would be selected.

I'm sure this will lead to howls of ourtage across talk radio, and the blogospere. Cries ranging from "the abuse of power of activist judges" to "judges being more concerned about criminals then victims," will be repeated lines heard often today.

However, protecting the rights of the accused is crucial to protecting our Democracy. The Court isn't setting either of the accused free, its sending them back home to give them the trial they deserve. If the case was as open and shut as the prosecuters argued in front of the Supreme Court, the accused are scum. And they'll go to jail, or, since they're in a state with capital punnishment, they'll be put to death. No harm, no foul.

The disturbing thing about the hysteria I assume is coming is that the arguments from the right, are really arguments against Democracy.

Despite media coverage of the election in Iraq as a sign that the country is now a Democracy, and the dumb asses in Congress that put the purple ink stains on their thumbs in a ludicrous parody at the State of the Union; Democracy is about a hell of a lot more then elections.

Democracy is about freedom, fairness, and justice for all as well as electoral politics. The issue about jury selection isn't one about special rights. Its about equal rights. Its about justice. Its about Democracy.

And in the end, thats what all this hullaballoo around the world is about. Democracy. Kudos to the Supreme Court for showing the world how its done.
- posted by Damien Newton @ 9:47 AM