CrowEra

Louisiana GOP Blocks Bill Aimed at Ending Jim Crow-Era Split Jury Verdicts

by

BATON ROUGE, La. — A proposal aimed at eliminating split jury verdicts in Louisiana faced rejection from state Republicans, marking a setback for efforts to address a legal practice dating back to the Jim Crow era. The proposed legislation sought to require unanimous verdicts in felony cases, a shift that advocates argue is essential for ensuring fairer trials and better justice. The measure was brought forward by a bipartisan coalition hoping to reform a system that has long been criticized for its roots in racial discrimination. In Louisiana, non-unanimous jury verdicts have allowed convictions based … Read more

Louisiana Lawmakers Push for Justice Reform as Bill Aims to Overturn Jim Crow-Era Jury Verdicts

by

NEW ORLEANS — The presence of individuals still incarcerated under a law enabling non-unanimous jury verdicts from the Jim Crow era has come under intense scrutiny, prompting state officials to push for reform. State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat from New Orleans and the author of Senate Bill 218, asserts that the legislation aims to remedy past injustices and restore faith in the legal system. “This bill gives those individuals a chance to finally have their cases heard by a fair and constitutional jury,” Duplessis stated. Louisiana’s non-unanimous jury law, established during the 1898 constitutional … Read more