NCJ Number
153720
Editor(s)
M Bauman,
M Ottenad
Date Published
1994
Length
127 pages
Annotation
The Oregon Supreme Court established a task force on racial/ethnic issues in the judicial system in 1992 to explore the extent of discrimination and to make recommendations on eliminating the inequitable treatment of racial/ethnic groups.
Abstract
The task force found that many non-English-speaking minorities appearing in court do not comprehend what is going on because they do not understand the judicial system, because interpreters are not present, or because interpreters are not qualified. Too few lawyers speak and understand the languages of non-English-speaking minorities, and not enough minority lawyers practice in Oregon. Further, efforts to recruit minority lawyers are inadequate, and too few minorities are called for jury duty. Peremptory challenges that eliminate individuals from serving on juries are used solely because of the racial/ethnic background of prospective jurors. In addition, judges handling family law cases involving minorities do not always understand the traditions and cultural practices of minority families. In the criminal justice area, evidence suggests that minorities are more likely than nonminorities to be arrested, charged, convicted, and incarcerated and that minorities are less likely than nonminorities to be released on bail or placed on probation. In the juvenile justice system, minorities are more likely than nonminorities to be arrested, charged, removed from the family, remanded for trial as adults, found guilty of delinquent acts, and incarcerated. References, footnotes, tables, and figures