Inequalities in Louisiana Judicial System Kevin Carmouche American Public University Professor Wallin Cmrj295 Criminal Justice Sophomore Seminar October 1, 2017 Abstract In Louisiana the criminal ratio for minorities are at an all-time high. This paper will go into detail about the criminal justice system and the way it functions for people. It will also touch basis on how Louisiana system is biased when it comes to race. This state is known for its high rate of incarceration and needs to be evaluated on how to bring down the statistics which will be discussed. I will investigate some purposes behind the sentencing differences. These issues have been a main topic for years through the judicial system and its time for a change. …show more content…
imprisons a higher proportion of its citizens compared to any other nation in the world, and the State of Louisiana is the hotbed of this trend: it sentences 1 in every 55 people, more than any other state in the country (cited in Smith & Sarma, 2012). The mass incarceration is alarming since Louisiana’s judicial system is disproportionately incarcerating racial minorities, particularly its African Americans even though they constitute a smaller proportion of the state’s population. The judiciary as one of the three arms of the government plays the primary role in administering justice. It as well serves as a symbol of equity by interpreting laws impartially, fairly, honestly, wise, and justly. An effective justice system is supposed to meet at least these two …show more content…
For example, the panel said it found the foreman of Corey Miller's guilty of second-degree murder; however, when the judges were poled individually, the nine of them voted for conviction, one for conviction “under duress,” and two for acquittal (Smith & Sarma, 2012). The authors further noted that whereas the two of the judges voted for acquittal, the final vote invalidated the ruling. Thirteen hours after the judge refused to declare a mistrial and sent back the jury for further deliberations, the jury returned with a guilty verdict (Smith & Sarma, 2012). He was automatically convicted to life without the possibility of getting a parole. It later emerged that the initially dissenting African-American judge accepted to go by the popular decision due to the “brutal” pressure that the other judges directed at him. According to Smith and Sarma (2012), Louisiana also sends away black jurors at an alarming rate indicating the cause for the reduced participation of jurors from the minority communities. Undoubtedly, limited involvement of the Blacks along with non-unanimous verdict policy increases the string of injustice in Louisiana’s judiciary