The Supreme Court took a strong new stand against racial bias in jury rooms, ruling for the first time that reports of racist comments by jurors may require setting aside a verdict and holding a new trial. “I think he did it because he’s Mexican, and Mexican men take whatever they want,” the juror said, according to the other jurors’ reports. The judge reviewed their sworn statements, but said Colorado law prohibited reopening a trial based on what was said in the jury room. The Colorado Supreme Court agreed and upheld the so-called “no impeachment rule.”The Supreme Court overturned that decision in Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado. “In this case, the alleged statements by a juror were egregious and unmistakable in their reliance on racial bias,” Kennedy wrote.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 06, 2017 16:41 UTC