In 1997,  Brandon Jackson was convicted of armed robbery in Louisiana in the United States. At his trial, two jurors voted not guilty. In 48 out of 50 states Jackson would have had the right to a retrial, but not in Louisiana. The law dates back to the Jim Crow era. In 1898, as white politicians across the US passed laws to restrict African Americans’ newfound civil rights, Louisiana implemented non-unanimous jury convictions to diminish the influence of Black jurors.

Louisiana banned the practice in 2018, and the US Supreme Court ruled they were unconstitutional two years later. Today there are at least 1,500 people in prisons across the state who were convicted by juries that could not agree on their guilt. Eighty percent are Black - like Jackson.

Brandon Jackson has a hearing coming up at the Bossier Parish Courthouse on October 21st to determine his fate. Judge Nerren will decide whether or not to grant him a retrial. Please sign the petition to tell Judge Nerren that Brandon’s conviction is unfair and he deserves justice.

I learned about this from The Fault Lines episode, The Jim Crow Convictions.