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In reply to the discussion: Silence Makes White People Racist [View all]cwydro
(51,308 posts)I was on a jury here in Charlotte.
The defendant was black. He was accused of robbing a hotel. The woman who accused him was white and his former lover.
He was accused of armed robbery. He admitted to robbing the place, but said she helped. He said he never had a gun. No gun was found.
We were not given the choice of just robbery. The charge was ARMED robbery.
Most of the jury were southern men. The rest of us were southern women. The most outrageous asshole was going to vote guilty from the get go. The other men agreed. We women held out. Eventually they screamed and harangued until they convinced all but me and the oldest woman there. It was a horrible experience. They were obviously racist and did not care about the facts.
I continued to point out that there was NO GUN found. Therefore, that leaves a REASONABLE doubt. They didn't care.
We were a hung jury. Judge was furious. sent us back again and again. The old lady and I never changed our position.
The jury was hung and so the defendant walked. I hated that experience in every way, but it showed me prejudice up close and personal in a way I'd never seen. And it was pure ugly.