Should minorities have to worry about being stereotyped when determining the result of criminal justice?
In a recent controversy, several civil rights organizations filled a judicial misconduct complaint against U.S Federal Judge Edith Jones, (who serves as the 5th U.S circuit court of appeals) for allegedly stating that minorities are “predisposed to crimes”.
In February, Judge Edith Jones was invited by the Penn Law School Federalist Society to come in and do a Federal Death Penalty Review, which was designed to be an educational discussion through the eyes of a federal judge.
Unfortunately, the event was not recorded and her comments were not taped. However, those who were present during the discussion signed affidavits confirming what they heard filling an ethics complaint against her. The complaint alleges that Judge Jones said, “Racial groups like African Americans and Hispanics are predisposed to crime,” and that they are “prone to commit acts of violence” because they are more involved in violent crimes than people of other ethnicities.
According to Huff Post Black Voice, two years back, Judge Jones was in a 2-1 majority determining that a defendant was not mentally impaired and was therefore eligible for execution. The defendant Elroy Chester was then executed in Texas after the U.S Supreme Court rejected a “last ditch” appeal from his attorney.
If these allegations are to be true, her use of “predisposed” is definitely questionable because it labels minorities as being guilty of committing crimes beforehand.
Is race a factor?
Bre (iam_bree_)
