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Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that hundreds of people convicted of crimes under nonunanimous jury decisions have a right to new trials. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down nonunanimous juries in 2020 when it handed down its ruling in Ramos vs. Louisiana. Prior to the ruling, Oregon and Louisiana were the only two states to allow convictions while jurors expressed doubts about defendants' guilt.
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The practice of convictions by split juries in Oregon for more than 90 years "has undermined the integrity of our judicial system and has reduced public confidence in our laws and our system of justice," Oregon Supreme Court Senior Justice Richard Baldwin wrote in the opinion.
Baldwin also drew attention to the racial origins of nonunanimous juries in the opinion, saying they were approved "as a means of excluding nonwhites from meaningful participation in our justice system."
Baldwin asserted that laws directed at people of color undermined the rights of everyone in the state.
The ruling means approximately 300 people in prison on nonunanimous convictions will be eligible for new trials.
"I stand committed to eradicating inequities and ensuring fairness and impartiality in the delivery of justice in our state," Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said after the ruling was issued.
The Oregon District Attorney's Association, however, said it would be "challenging if not impossible," to retry all the cases.
"We must ensure that these victims, many of whom are women and children, need not face the terror testifying once again before their abusers," the association said in a statement issued to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
