Tag Archives: Juror Bias

Second Circuit Vacates Conviction Because the District Court Did Not Permit Adequate Inquiry Into Juror Anti-Gang Bias

In United States v. Nieves, No. 21-1901 (2d Cir. Jan. 26, 2023), the Second Circuit took the rare step of tossing a criminal conviction because “the district court abused its discretion by failing to take any of several possible steps that could have effectively screened prospective jurors for [anti-gang] bias.” Defendant Nieves was charged withContinue reading “Second Circuit Vacates Conviction Because the District Court Did Not Permit Adequate Inquiry Into Juror Anti-Gang Bias”

Culture Wars in the Eleventh Circuit? En Banc Court Votes to Vacate Conviction Because Christian Juror Who “Trusted the Holy Ghost” Was Erroneously Dismissed from Trial

In United States v. Brown, No. 17-15470 (11th Cir. May 6, 2021) (en banc), a strict partisan split yields a 7-4 decision to vacate the fraud conviction of a former U.S. Representative because the judge removed a juror during deliberations who said that “A Higher Being told me [the defendant] was Not Guilty on allContinue reading “Culture Wars in the Eleventh Circuit? En Banc Court Votes to Vacate Conviction Because Christian Juror Who “Trusted the Holy Ghost” Was Erroneously Dismissed from Trial”

Fifth Circuit Affirms Seating of Juror Opposed to Gambling in Criminal Trial Involving Gambling

In United States v. Dejean, No. 19-30865 (5th Cir. Feb. 23, 2021), the Fifth Circuit upholds a mail fraud and false-statement conviction over a challenge to Juror 31, who admitted that the defendant’s gambling might possibly “affect the way [he] judge[s] somebody who … is an avid gambler?” “A jury convicted Patrick Hale Dejean ofContinue reading “Fifth Circuit Affirms Seating of Juror Opposed to Gambling in Criminal Trial Involving Gambling”