Minorities In The Criminal Justice System

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The legal system is set in place to provide a fair, unbiased, and efficient justice for its citizens. Unfortunately, race, ethnicity, class, well because gender provides the first impression for every encounter throughout the legal process. The United States Criminal Justice System has especially been undermined by an unfair bias against people of color. This is an issue in North Carolina, and other states as well because these biases can directly correlate to every aspect of the process set in motion by the criminal justice system. The race and ethnicity of the defendant can affect plea tactic negotiations, jury selection, and sentencing. A misrepresentation of minorities in the criminal justice system, can subject those with the power to …show more content…
A report by the Department of Justice found that blacks and Hispanics were approximately three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than white motorists. African Americans were twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police. The U.S. Sentencing Commission stated that in the federal system black offenders receive sentences that are 10 percent longer than white offenders for the same crimes. The Sentencing Project reports that African Americans are 21 percent more likely to receive mandatory-minimum sentences than white defendants and are 20 percent more like to be sentenced to …show more content…
Even though I don't personally deal with the situation, I can comment that less wealthy clients are subjected to less promising plea deals. They are offered alternative deals to less wealthy defendants because they have no ability to pay fees. As a result, you will see probation offered in a lot of instances with strict guidelines.
My final question for our interview is: Can a racial bias extend past prosecution and affect opportunities to receive payroll based on the crime committed? Well, it is statistically proven that black inmates are heavily favored in the aspect of people serving life without parole, for nonviolent offenses. The race of the prisoner is always slanted towards black civilians.
In 2009, in response to the landmark McCleskey decision, North Carolina passed the Racial Justice Act (RJA). This legislation required courts to enter a life sentence for any death row defendant who proves that race was a factor in the imposition of his sentence and allowed defendants to show evidence of racial bias with statistical evidence. In a historic ruling based on the RJA, in April 2012, a judge found intentional and systemic racial discrimination in the case of Marcus Robinson, a Black death row prisoner, and commuted his death sentence to life without parole. Courts set aside three more death sentences under the RJA in December 2012.Then, in June 2013, the North Carolina legislature
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