When Juror B-29 of the Trayvon Martin trial took the mic, it forced me to reconsider my earlier position that an acquittal was inevitable. The juror, a young Puerto Rican woman named Maddie, told an ABC News reporter that she felt Trayvon’s shooter, George Zimmerman, got away with murder. But under the law, the juror said, she had no choice but to acquit Zimmerman. To do so, she explained she had to ignore her heart and her emotions. She apologized to Martin’s mother, Sabrina Fulton, and said she too felt for the loss of the boy. It was truly a remarkable interview, giving insight into the thinking of at least one juror, the first to show her face. It also shows not only that the case wasn’t as solid as first thought, but that jurors really take their instruction seriously.
Apparently, jurors can also suffer from confusion. In fact, jurors are free to vote any way they want, no matter what the instructions are. This is known as jury nullification, and a way to reflect community justice. But Juror B-29 didn’t know that, because in many jurisdictions, they can’t be told that. In any event, this provides slim rays of sunshine to Trayvon’s mom and family. It may ease some minds that this young woman felt so passionately about the case, but it appears her resistance was beaten down by other jurors, and she agreed, not because she actually believed it but, to create a false consensus. This woman owed nothing to her other jurors. The same couldn’t be said of Trayvon Martin or his family. From in prison nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
