Non-unanimous verdicts at issue at Louisiana high court

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Attorneys for the state of Louisiana have told the state Supreme Court a ban on non-unanimous jury verdicts should not be enforced retroactively to hundreds of old cases. The state argues the 10-2 verdicts allowed under the state constitution drawn up in 1973 weren’t racially motivated. Civil right attorneys argued that the practice is rooted in late 19th century Jim Crow era policies to make convicting Black people easier. Arguments in the case involving the 1997 murder conviction of Reginald Reddick were heard Tuesday.