According to the Bill of Rights, all individuals accused of criminal charges are entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers. Any knowledgeable Michigan criminal defense lawyer can attest that having a variety of jurors, including those with similar backgrounds as the defendant, is a crucial component to a successful and fair case. And in a recent ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals, it became clear that this right is a closely guarded one, as a man convicted of criminal charges has received a new trial after protesting that the jury lacked any racial or ethnic variety.
In 2002, then 16 year-old Ramon Bryant was accused of both Michigan sex offense charges and armed robbery. The court convicted him, and the African American teen was sentenced to spend between 12 and 35 years in jail as a result.
However, in the appeal process, Bryant claimed that he did not receive a fair trial by a jury of people with similar backgrounds as him–not one member of the 42 person jury was black, alluding to the fact that jurors were not properly selected. This has been a long-standing problem in Kent County, who admitted years ago that jurors were not chosen at random across all zip codes in the area. Because of this, counsel for Bryant maintain that his constitutional rights were violated because the jury was not picked from a cross-selection of the community.
New trial granted for Bryant
While prosecutors hold that there is no reason to suspect that the trial was unfair and the juror selection was unintentional, the Michigan Court of Appeals granted a new trial for Bryant. “It is irrelevant that the problem… does not appear to be intentional,” the three-judge panel said. “A party need not show that the under-representation of a distinctive group came as a result of intentional discrimination.”
As seen by the example of Ramon Bryant, not having a trial by a balanced jury of peers could result in an unfair verdict, as suggested by the descision. Fortunately for accused persons, the Michigan Court of Appeals is clearly intent on protecting this right. In instances where a jury is not cross-selected, it is vital to have experienced Michigan criminal defense attorneys on your side. Not only can aggressive counsel provide superior legal advice and legal representation for your defense, your right to a fair trial will always be protected.