By JULIE CUNNINGHAM
(Franklin County MA) A letter released by the Franklin County Bar Association is calling for further action against inequality in the criminal justice system.
“As members of the legal community, we need to reexamine why, too often, our criminal justice system fails to treat African-Americans the same as white Americans, and recommit ourselves to the systemic change needed to make equality under the law an enduring reality for all. This must be a time not just of reflection but of action. ” the letter reads.
The letter calls out Jim Crow laws, the legacy of slavery, and the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans. Additionally, the letter questions why African Americans have disproportionally fallen victim to COVID-19 both in deaths and in economic impact.
“As judges, we must look afresh at what we are doing, or failing to do, to root out any conscious and unconscious bias in our courtrooms; to ensure that the justice provided to African-Americans is the same that is provided to white Americans; to create in our courtrooms, our corner of the world, a place where all are truly equal,” the judges wrote in the letter.
The letter is signed by Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants, Associate Justice Frank M. Gaziano, Associate Justice Kimberly S. Budd, Associate Justice Scott L. Kafker, Associate Justice Barbara A. Lenk, Associate Justice David A. Lowy, and Associate Justice Elspeth B. Cypher.