When George Zimmerman, a man of German and Peruvian ancestry, fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager wearing a hoodie, many felt it was a clear case of racial bias. That’s contrary to what Zimmerman, a captain in his neighborhood watch group in an Orlando suburb, told police investigating the case. He thought Martin was “up to no good,” and began following him. A violent encounter between the two ensued, and Zimmerman said he shot Martin because he feared for his life.
Whether Zimmerman acted out of self-defense was left to the court to decide. Prosecutors throughout the trial portrayed Zimmerman in a different light — an angry, wanna-be cop who targeted a teenager walking home after buying a package of Skittles and an Arizona-brand fruit drink at a convenience store. Ultimately, the nearly-all-white jury acquitted Zimmerman on all charges. But can we know whether racial bias crept into their decision?
Jury Duty
Juries have a tremendous amount of power and responsibility in the American judicial system. They determine whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty, and in some cases, what the sentence will be. They can take away someone’s freedom and even their life. Under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, the accused has a right to be heard by an impartial jury, which has been interpreted to mean people from the surrounding community who will decide the case based solely on the evidence. Yet research into implicit bias suggests that many not be what really happens.
