echnology has changed every industry and system, including the judicial system. One could argue that the judicial system held out longer than others as far as adopting new technologies. Those days are coming to an end as complex programs, artificial intelligence, and body camera footage are constantly used.
Previously, juries had to take evidence and testimonies a face value as it was presented in the courtroom. Now, lawyers have many tools at their disposal and can leverage technology to identify injustice and racial bias.
Follow along as we explore how lawyers can use technology to help their clients overcome racial disparities in the courtroom and beyond.
Using Tech to Fight Injustices
Lawyers had to fight tooth and nail to ensure their defendants got fair trials for far too long. While they must still fight hard, they can at least lean on modern technologies to reinforce their cases and help serve justice. Now, lawyers can point to video evidence, data discrepancies, and arrest patterns to make strong cases.
Similarly, their clients can access important information and learn more about their rights like never before. This modern luxury can help prevent wrongful convictions and make law enforcement officials more accountable. The objective nature of technology can help cut through the sea of distractions and get to the bottom line: the truth.
Of course, we haven’t reached the point of perfection yet as far as artificial intelligence and data sorting technology. However, what we currently have is a great start and has already helped hold the legal system accountable for racial disparities. Lawyers can use technology to ensure justice and fight racial disparities in many ways, such as:
Get to the Root of the Problem
Problems and disparities within the judicial system have prevented countless people from getting fair trials. For hundreds of years, unfair arrests, false confessions, and convictions of innocent people have occurred. Today, lawyers can utilize emerging technology to probe years of cases and evidence to uncover disparities.
Technology makes sorting through years of evidence and cases to find bias and corruption much easier. For example, previously, lawyers had to jump through countless hoops to access key information regarding a police department’s history. Such information can reveal a pattern of injustice and bias that can help lawyers make a case for their clients.
This technology can help lawyers, judges, and law enforcement identify flaws and take accountability. After all, the judicial system cannot improve until we can shed the excess weight of antiquated biases and injustices. The best way to do that is to identify flaws and patterns with the wealth of technology at our disposal to ensure there is no bias.
Ensure Accountability
AI and data sorting technology aren’t the only technological tools at our disposal to ensure accountability. Body cameras make it so that we don’t have to navigate a “he said, she said” conundrum between both parties in an arrest. Now, body cameras let us see what happened during an arrest firsthand to ensure transparency.
This is particularly useful regarding racial disparities as body camera footage has shown the ugly reality of racially charged police brutality. Lawyers can easily use body camera footage in court to highlight racial bias, corruption, and excessive force. Sadly, body cameras aren’t required in every state in the United States.
However, police officers must wear body cameras in Maryland, Connecticut, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Colorado, among other states. Body camera footage can help lawyers reinforce their defendants’ testimonies and give them a voice.
Keep People Informed
How can anyone know their rights to the fullest extent if they aren’t a licensed lawyer? Today, you can find important legal resources even if you don’t have a Juris Doctor degree. The ability to easily access legal information and resources can save people time, money, and heartache.
Previously, people have said and agreed to things they shouldn’t have and unknowingly hurt their cases. This broken part of the system has allowed racial disparities to thrive within the judicial system. It’s important to familiarize yourself with your rights and the law, especially if you risk facing biases based on your race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
The more you know about your rights, the less easily corrupt law enforcement professionals can use them against you. Sadly, you’re more likely to get taken advantage of if someone perceives you don’t know what you’re doing. Luckily, you can easily find key information related to your case or concerns with a simple Google search.
Work More Efficiently
It’s hard to give a client your all when you must manually sort through hundreds or thousands of pages before making a case. That’s especially true when you must vet jurors, view evidence, and research a police department’s biased history. Today, you can use technology to go over much of this information.
Not only does this save time, but it ensures you can put more time and resources into the courtroom side of a case. This helps ensure you can represent your client and be as prepared as possible for a trial. That is invaluable in complex cases that require lots of research long before testimonies begin.
Serving Justice One Technological Advance at a Time
The days of swaying juries solely based on testimonies and “their word” are over. We have mountains of evidence showing how the system has failed people of color despite the lack of evidence in countless cases. Today, lawyers owe it to their clients to take advantage of technology and use every resource to fight for justice.
