Jury selection flawed in Michael Jackson case
Chicago, IL: As the Michael Jackson case unfolds in California, jury selection has been completed. Astonishingly, not a single African American was selected to serve on the jury of this high profile, highly sensitive case.
Michael Jackson, like every other American, deserves his day in court, and a fair and even playing field. But the lack of inclusion of even one African American on the jury casts a cloud of reasonable doubt on the fundamental promise and purpose of the courts: to provide a fair trial by a jury of one's peers.
From the beginning, this case has suffered from a barrage of high profile accusations, a constant flow of leaks, and the politicization of the process by the prosecution. These factors, and now the flawed jury selection process, will continue to raise questions about whether this case is being conducted in a fair and unbiased manner.
It is simply inconceivable that, in a high profile and highly sensitive case like this, that African Americans would be omitted from the jury. What could the lawyers have been thinking? If nothing else, it presents the appearance of unfairness.
Imagine another scenario: what if a Caucasian was on trial and accused of molesting Black children, and faced a jury composed of seven African Americans, four Hispanics, one Asian and omitted Whites? Would that not appear unfair and imbalanced?
Michael Jackson deserves his day in court. But let the process be fair and transparent, and let the trial honor the highest principles of fairness.
Reverend Jesse L. Jackson
Source: MJJsource/eMJey