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<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'">ESCAPING
UNANIMITY</SPAN><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'"> – On Monday the
U.S. Supreme Court denied a defendant's petition for certiorari in <I><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Herrera v. Oregon</SPAN></I>, a non-unanimous jury
case involving an </SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'">Oregon</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'"> man who was found
guilty despite votes from two jurors to acquit him. </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'">Oregon</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'"> and
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'">Louisiana</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'"> are the only states
that do not require a unanimous jury verdict to convict a person of a felony,
and our non-unanimous jury system has faced several challenges, including the
2007 case <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Bowen v. Oregon</SPAN></I>.
Although it declined to hear <I><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Bowen</SPAN></I> last term, the Supreme Court asked
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'">Oregon</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face="Palatino Linotype" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype'"> to file a response
to the cert petition in <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Herrera</SPAN></I>,
demonstrating a continued interest in the issue. This week’s decision put the
question to rest… for now. </SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>