One of the oldest cases on California’s Death Row went through the justice system of appeals and caught the attention of the highest court. It agreed that the constitution allows jurors to bring their moral convictions into the box. Advocates for Faith and Freedom legal counsel Jennifer Monk says the interpretation is correct.

“Our criminal justice system is based on morals and ethics. In bringing it in they certainly are able to go as far as to cite Bible verses and to explain that faith and why they feel the way they do.”

Last year, a federal appeals court re-established the death sentence for the repeat criminal who violently killed a librarian at USC. Added perspective also comes from Bruce Hausknecht, Judicial Analyst for Focus On the Family Action.

“Jurors are the public. They get together to decide the fate of people who’ve broken the law. The fact that jurors bring biblical understanding into a jury room is the essence of democracy in the United States.”

He says this is a very positive move for Christians and the U.S. Justice system. “Because recently courts have been holding against jurors who discuss or bring the Bible into a jury room, so this is good news.”

When scripture was quoted during deliberations in the California case, not much time lapsed when jurors reached a decision.