We Need Real Solutions to Address Non-Unanimous Jury Verdicts
What are Non-Unanimous Juries (NUJs)?
For over 100 years, people in Louisiana could be convicted of a crime - and sent to prison for life - even if two people on their jury didn’t vote guilty. This law originated in the late 1800s as a Jim Crow measure designed to make it easier to convict Black defendants after the federal government prohibited Louisiana from excluding Black people from jury service.
In 2018, Louisiana voters passed a constitutional amendment ending the practice moving forward and in 2020, the United States Supreme Court said non-unanimous juries are unconstitutional.
Although non-unanimous juries have been eliminated going forward, nearly 1,000 people remain imprisoned on these now-unconstitutional verdicts. The courts have made clear that it is up to the Louisiana Legislature to provide a remedy, yet for six consecutive years lawmakers have failed to pass meaningful relief. That must change this year!
Letter Campaign by
Promise of Justice Initiative