Defendants have the right to have their cases heard by a jury of their peers, but what happens if that is not possible? When people report for jury duty, both the defense and prosecution can question them to understand whether they might have something in their background that would make them judge the defendant based on anything other than the facts of the case. However, sometimes there are unknown biases that do not come to light from pretrial questioning and can impact the outcome of the case. To understand more about how you can fight jury bias in your criminal case, speak with an experienced Illinois criminal defense lawyer.
What is Jury Bias?
Jury bias can take many forms. Sometimes, jurors have subconscious prejudices against defendants who are accused of certain crimes. Other times, they might be influenced by social media, news reports, what their friends tell them, or their personal experiences with law enforcement and the justice system. In high-profile cases, exposure to pretrial publicity can also lead jurors to have strong opinions about the case before a trial even begins.