Gentrification has evidently been transforming countless aspects of society that we need to consider and reevaluate in order to ensure we are living the way we desire as well as awarding others that same privilege. I found the New York Post article “When Brooklyn juries gentrify defendants lose,” a perfect example of that. It highlighted an aspect of our judicial system that is affected by the changes brought upon by gentrification that we wouldn’t normally think to consider. Although I cannot and would not want to deny that gentrification transforms the composition of juries, I wonder if it is fair to declare that it is an absolutely horrendous thing. The “Williamsburg Effect” basically means that more Brooklyn juries are composed of citizens with advanced degrees, who are less likely to sympathize with defendants, who they might deem criminal more easily. Although this is a problem when addressing an over saturation of prisons and jails with people who don’t quite deserve to be imprisoned, I acknowledge the fact that the judicial system aims to eradicate bias when picking their jury; therefore, it should not be rendered a societal failure if juries just happen to get smarter as the composition of populations in the area evolve. I think we should be less focused on the juries and more focused on improving living conditions and educational opportunities of people who are less fortunate than the PhDs who are determining their guilt. Although I don’t believe this change in jury composition is a good thing, I just don’t believe there is much to be done if it is simply a representation of the people who live there. The current criminal justice system believes that other, law-abiding citizens must dole out punishments for those who they think prove a threat to their society. Then again, I am sure that an establishment of quotas could also work in order to ensure fairer treatment. Racial background and socioeconomic status should be taken into consideration when a jury is picked so as to ensure equality across the board. Regardless, I think the article served to really illustrate the depths that gentrification reach when changing communities. Its more than just about coffeehouses and fancier corner stores; it is a process that infiltrates even the most important aspects of our communities, which have greater ripple effects and may affect state or federal standards of criminal justice and rule adjudication. Acknowledgement of these changes is necessary in order to move forward. Regardless whether someone thinks gentrification is a good thing, or a bad thing, the important part is that they are aware of it as a process and have an opinion they can act on. I only hope that we are able to help individuals who are harmed by this process and protect them as much as possible through changes in thought on the part of business owners and landlords.