Ninth Circuit Holds Juror Who Wouldn’t Unequivocally State She Could Be Impartial Should Have Been Excused; New Trial Ordered Because Biased Juror Can’t Be Harmless Error by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell In a case where a juror did not unequivocally state that she could be unbiased because she had …

Study: Racial Bias Inherent in the Jury Selection Process by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss Wake Forest University criminal law professor Ronald Wright recently published a research paper, which proves—with statewide evidence—that the peremptory challenge process of jury selection in North Carolina trials is racially biased.  Prosecutors, who are first …

Connecticut Removal of Spanish-Speaking Juror Not Reversible Without Prejudice by Mark Wilson by Mark Wilson The Connecticut Supreme Court held that the improper exclusion of a prospective Spanish-speaking juror is not reversible unless prejudice is shown. Jeffrey P. Gould was tried on a Connecticut sex crime. While the prosecutor was …