The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, harshly depicts the sad reality of this prejudice. “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s word, the white always wins” (295). Juries tend to stereotype African-Americans, and will consider them as less trustworthy and more violent than white people. These biases can influence the jury’s decision and increase the likelihood that they will find an African-American defendant guilty. The sixth amendment of the Constitution gives the right to a fair trial with an impartial jury, but in some cases, this is not always possible. As the character Atticus Finch says, “people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box” (259). Preconceived notions and prejudices of the jury can impact the verdict of a case, making the trial unfairly biased against an African-American defendant. Some people may argue that the court systems are “colorblind” and that everyone receives a fair trial, no matter their race. However, African Americans are incarcerated at almost 6 times the rate of white people, due to inherent biases and racism of the
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, harshly depicts the sad reality of this prejudice. “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s word, the white always wins” (295). Juries tend to stereotype African-Americans, and will consider them as less trustworthy and more violent than white people. These biases can influence the jury’s decision and increase the likelihood that they will find an African-American defendant guilty. The sixth amendment of the Constitution gives the right to a fair trial with an impartial jury, but in some cases, this is not always possible. As the character Atticus Finch says, “people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box” (259). Preconceived notions and prejudices of the jury can impact the verdict of a case, making the trial unfairly biased against an African-American defendant. Some people may argue that the court systems are “colorblind” and that everyone receives a fair trial, no matter their race. However, African Americans are incarcerated at almost 6 times the rate of white people, due to inherent biases and racism of the