Our View: A fair trial

By: | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: May 23, 2010

Suppose for a moment you had never heard of Andrew D. Ramseur. You didn't know that he was on trial for the murders of two people. You'd never read the chilling account of the video showing Jennifer Vincek and Jeffrey Robert Peck being gunned down.
All you knew was that a man was on trial in a capital murder case.
Now, suppose you found out that the defendant was white, and would be tried by a jury of six black men and six white women.
There would be nothing about this jury to suggest that they could not arrive at a fair verdict.
And yet ... it would likely give most people in Iredell County -- of all races -- pause.
That seemed to be what Statesville Branch NAACP President Skip McCall was asking for during a press conference announcing a formal complaint filed with Judge Christopher Collier, "challenging the judicial system to ensure diverse representation on this as well as all selected juries in this county."
Why, he asked, in a county with 17 percent black population, was there not one acceptable juror of color?
It's a valid question, and it boils down to a trust -- or mistrust -- of the judicial system.
District Attorney Mikko Red Arrow gave explanations for the jurors he dismissed, and Judge Ron Spivey upheld those dismissals, saying "There has been no proven purposeful discrimination."
The Statesville NAACP Branch obviously has doubts about that, as is their right. If members of our community cannot have faith in our judicial system -- fairly or not -- then questions should be raised.
Everyone has the right to a fair trial -- Ramseur is no exception -- and a diverse jury pool is a crucial part of that right. That is an important cause for the NAACP to champion, and we support their efforts.
However, the issue seems to be almost moot in the Ramseur case. It is difficult to imagine any combination of 12 people, of any race, being presented with the evidence in this case -- watching Jennifer Vincek be shot once, and then again as she crawled away, watching the assailant grab more cash from the drawer, then calmly walking out, leaving his victims to die -- well, it is difficult to imagine that they all would not reach the same conclusion.
If McCall and the NAACP see a pattern of racial injustice in Iredell County, it is their duty to challenge it. Hopefully, their complaint will lead to a greater understanding throughout the community of how jury pools and jurors are selected -- and inspire more black and Hispanic citizens to ensure they are eligible to be part of that pool.
For now, all of us must take on faith that the men and women who are selected to serve on our juries will do so in as fair and impartial manner as possible, no matter their race.

Our View: A fair trial

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