After George Zimmerman: Moving our Criminal Justice System Off "Autopilot"
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“Not guilty on all counts.”
When that verdict was read in the Trayvon Martin case, like most African Americans, I was simultaneously numbed and devastated. Once again, our criminal justice system has sent a clear message to citizens of color that it’s OK for us to be killed at the end of a pistol.
We must ask hard questions.
Does our system truly safeguard the rule of law? Is legislation like the Stand Your Ground Law—enacted in many states like Florida, Texas, Mississippi and others— equal in its interpretation and application? Justice in America has become a juggernaut that seemingly runs on autopilot, consuming in its wake mostly black, brown and poor people—as victims and perpetrators—with little evidence of fairness in application of the law or opportunity for rehabilitation.
Presenter, Glenn E. Martin is currently the Vice President of Public Affairs and Director of the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy at The Fortune Society. He is responsible for leading the agency’s communications work, as well as developing and advancing Fortune’s national and local criminal justice policy advocacy agenda.
Lunch will be provided. The event can also be viewed live here.