Race Bias and the Importance of Consciousness for Criminal Defense Attorneys

Abstract:     
The problems of racial bias pervade the criminal justice system. In this paper a subject that is not much talked about -- the issue of how racial bias affects defense attorneys and the need for defense attorneys to acknowledge implicit and explicit racial biases as a matter of practice -- is examined. Specifically, the paper covers problems of racial bias when defense attorneys make assumptions about (1) their clients, and (2) veniremen during voir dire.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 15

Keywords: criminal defense, racial bias, criminal justice

Accepted Paper Series