Raymond M. Brown Authors Commentary in New Jersey Law Journal on Voices Not Heard at Judicial Conference on Jury Selection

Raymond M. Brown, partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., authored a commentary in the New Jersey Law Journal, “Voices Not Heard at Judicial Conference on Jury Selection.” Brown serves as co-chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Working Group on Jury Selection, formed to examine the jury selection process and issue a report in anticipation of the Judicial Conference on Jury Selection. Brown monitored the Conference held November 10th and 12th as a member of the Essex County Bar Association delegation and the Garden State Bar Association. In his commentary, he discusses some of the voices not heard at the Conference:

Nonetheless it is disturbing that before adopting, implementing, and measuring this complex matrix of ideas the Judiciary chose to meet for two days and not hear from a single attorney of color who had used peremptories to protect Black defendants and could advocate for that tool as useful for vindicating the fair trial rights of the “Tyrique,” “Shaniqua” and “Jamals.” Instead, it used this gathering to treat peremptories as a trope for racial discrimination and ignore credible voices who have fought “in the pits” the battle of obtaining fair trials for Black people. The decision to ignore this critically important perspective does not augur well for accomplishing a vital goal essential to our systems of justice and democracy.

To view the full article in the New Jersey Law Journal, click here.