We attended yesterdays discussion on Race and the Justice system at Marquette University yesterday, along with many of our colleagues in the defense bar, from across the aisle in the DAs Office, and on the Milwaukee County bench. Race and justice is never an easy topic. Many people commented with much candor on questions such as: Why are people of color imprisoned at such a high rate in Wisconsin? Does implicit racial bias affect our decision-making in the justice system? How do judges feel when race is raised as an issue in court? Is it easier to convict a black person of a crime than a white person? What are the challenges when police are accused of violating peoples rights? Can/should we educate jurors on racial bias? There were no easy answers; there were not even any easy questions. But weve never before seen this many people from all parts of the system come together for this type of discussion. Any time that happens, were at least starting to tackle an obvious problem. The article linked here also links to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee study that prompted the discussion. We invite your thoughts and comments. Well continue to write and post on this very important issue. jsonline/newswatch/279506732.html
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 17:33:27 +0000