An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There
When Lloyd Gray stood trial for rape in 1980, two jurors didn’t believe he was guilty and voted to acquit. Today, a split-jury verdict would mean a mistrial and possibly Gray’s freedom. But back then, in Louisiana, it resulted in a life sentence for the 19-year-old from Tunica, a rural community nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River. Gray, who has always maintained his innocence, spent the next four decades in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. That same year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that nonunanimous jury verdicts, legal in only Louisiana and Oregon, were unconstitutional and based on an inherently racist law designed to uphold white supremacy. But in fact, there are more than 1,000 people in Louisiana like Gray, convicted by split juries and still imprisoned, according to the Promise of Justice Initiative, a New Orleans-based nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform.
‘Cashless Bail’: The Origins of the Bail Reform Movement and Why Trump Wants to End it
President Donald Trump wants to eliminate “cashless bail” in the nation’s capital and across the country. But what exactly does that mean, and what is the controversy all about? “Cashless bail” is a term for criminal justice reform policies that have upended the traditional practice of making bail – allowing people to pay to be released from jail before trial. Instead, reformers have called to replace that money-based system with one that focuses on public safety, defendant’s rights and ensuring people accused of crimes return to court.
US Withdraws From Key UN Human Rights Report, Draws Criticism From Rights Advocates
The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washington’s global engagement on rights and justice issues. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) expects all 193 U.N. member states to submit reports on their human rights records every 4.5 to 5 years. The reports are reviewed by other member states, which provide non-binding recommendations.
Bangladeshi Leader Demands Justice for Rohingya, ‘Safe Return’ to Myanmar
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has warned that his country can no longer provide additional support for the 1.5 million Rohingya refugees it shelters, calling on the international community to work on a roadmap for the voluntary return of the persecuted minority back to their homeland in Myanmar. Speaking in Cox’s Bazar on Monday at a two-day conference marking eight years since the mass expulsion of the mostly Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the Nobel peace laureate unveiled a seven-point plan aimed at securing the refugees’ safe and voluntary return.