Pete Adams, Executive Director of Louisiana District Attorneys Association, called into KEDM Thursday to discuss the upcoming vote on Louisiana Amendment 2. On November 6th, an amendment to the Louisiana constitution will be on the ballot to change this law. If passed, Louisiana would go from needing ten jurors approval to convict to all twelve.
Adams is unsure if changing the amendment will have any effect on wrongful convictions and thinks the data doesn't support that. According to Adams, "More capital cases with unanimous juries are overturned than cases with non-unanimous juries." He believes that changing the amendment may make trials last longer because of longer jury deliberations and that retrials may keep people in jail longer.
Only one other state, Oregon, has this law. You can find out more information at unanimousjurors.org, as well as listening to our segment. This will be on the ballot November 6th.
