Bias Archive

  • "If 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' was remade today, the 'shocking' guest would no longer be a highly accomplished, educated and sophisticated black man (Sidney Poitier) but a highly accomplished, educated and sophisticated atheist."1 "The prisons are probably filled with people who don't have any kind of a spiritual or […]

    Panic Over the Unknown: America Hates Atheists

    by Douglas L. Keene, Ph.D. and Rita R. Handrich, Ph.D. "If 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' was remade today, the 'shocking' guest would no longer be a highly accomplished, educated and sophisticated black man (Sidney Poitier) but a highly accomplished, educated and sophisticated atheist."1 "The prisons are probably filled with people who don't have any kind of a spiritual or […]

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  • Due to the number of organizations beginning to see the value in a diverse workforce, more and more organizations are employing affirmative action policies. Of course, with the employment of such practices, issues of race and racial discrimination are becoming much more prevalent. As a result, a surge of research […]

    Colorism: The Often Un-discussed “-ism” in America’s Workforce

    by Matthew S. Harrison, Ph.D. Due to the number of organizations beginning to see the value in a diverse workforce, more and more organizations are employing affirmative action policies. Of course, with the employment of such practices, issues of race and racial discrimination are becoming much more prevalent. As a result, a surge of research […]

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  • In any social setting, including the courtroom, being a woman or man implies a certain fundamental belief about the acceptability of changing roles for women in U.S. society. We might expect women to be the most understanding and least judgmental of other women who take on new roles such as […]

    Sex and Race in the Courtroom: Shifting Gender-Role Attitudes in a Changing World

    by Cameron D. Lippard, Ph.D. and J. Scott Carter, Ph.D. and Mamadi Corra, Ph.D. and Shannon K. Carter, Ph.D. In any social setting, including the courtroom, being a woman or man implies a certain fundamental belief about the acceptability of changing roles for women in U.S. society. We might expect women to be the most understanding and least judgmental of other women who take on new roles such as […]

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  • Introduction The mental status of the defendant has long been an issue of interest for legal professionals. Most states have some kind of insanity plea (i.e., Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity [NGRI]). States vary on which guidelines they use to formulate their legislation (most commonly the M'Naghten rule or […]

    Guilty but Mentally Ill (GBMI) vs. Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI): An Annotated Bibliography

    by Jennifer Kutys and Jennifer Esterman Introduction The mental status of the defendant has long been an issue of interest for legal professionals. Most states have some kind of insanity plea (i.e., Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity [NGRI]). States vary on which guidelines they use to formulate their legislation (most commonly the M'Naghten rule or […]

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  • In 2005, Nicholas Minucci – a White man – assaulted and robbed Glenn Moore – a Black man. Throughout the attack, Minucci repeatedly referred to Moore as a "nigger." Based on this evidence, the state prosecuted this as a hate crime. Although tragic, the details surrounding the crime were not […]

    Hate Crimes and Revealing Motivation through Racial Slurs

    by Gregory S. Parks, J.D., Ph.D. and Shayne Jones, Ph.D. In 2005, Nicholas Minucci – a White man – assaulted and robbed Glenn Moore – a Black man. Throughout the attack, Minucci repeatedly referred to Moore as a "nigger." Based on this evidence, the state prosecuted this as a hate crime. Although tragic, the details surrounding the crime were not […]

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  • California voters’ recent passage of Proposition 8, which “re-banned” same-sex marriage in the state, and the success of similar anti-gay marriage laws across the country, has prompted some observers to comment that “gay is the new black.”  In other words, while overt, anti-black sentiment has been largely relegated to the […]

    Strategies for Combating Anti-Gay Sentiment in the Courtroom

    by Sean Overland, Ph.D. California voters’ recent passage of Proposition 8, which “re-banned” same-sex marriage in the state, and the success of similar anti-gay marriage laws across the country, has prompted some observers to comment that “gay is the new black.”  In other words, while overt, anti-black sentiment has been largely relegated to the […]

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  •           A principal function of the civil justice system is to make whole any person injured by another’s careless or intentional actions, insofar as that is possible. In theory, this applies to all types of injuries, whether they are of a physical, psychological, financial, or property nature. […]

    Injured Body, Injured Mind: Dealing with Damages for Psychological Harm

    by Brian Bornstein, Ph.D. and Samantha Schwartz           A principal function of the civil justice system is to make whole any person injured by another’s careless or intentional actions, insofar as that is possible. In theory, this applies to all types of injuries, whether they are of a physical, psychological, financial, or property nature. […]

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  • Voir dire focused only on juror demographics offers very little insight into potential jurors’ inherent biases, deeply-held prejudices, and overall world views. Knowing what individuals believe, how they interpret life, and the filters through which they make judgments is of far greater value than knowing where they live and what […]

    Take Me to Your Leader: An Examination of Authoritarianism as an Indicator of Juror Bias

    by Gayle W. Herde, Ph.D. Voir dire focused only on juror demographics offers very little insight into potential jurors’ inherent biases, deeply-held prejudices, and overall world views. Knowing what individuals believe, how they interpret life, and the filters through which they make judgments is of far greater value than knowing where they live and what […]

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  • Should trial attorneys and experts condemn racial profiling as a police practice while condoning racial profiling in jury selection at trial?  As a British philosopher who has lived and worked in the United States, I offer some suggestions to help readers make the most of their expertise. These are complicated […]

    Ethical Issues in Racial Profiling

    by Annabelle Lever, Ph.D. Should trial attorneys and experts condemn racial profiling as a police practice while condoning racial profiling in jury selection at trial?  As a British philosopher who has lived and worked in the United States, I offer some suggestions to help readers make the most of their expertise. These are complicated […]

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  • What Is Anti-Muslim Bias? Imagine being a woman in your 70s bound to a wheel chair.  You have just lost your husband.  You are pleading with the justice system to enforce your rent control rights in an apartment where you have been paying rent, for over 20 years. You wear […]

    Strategies and Tactics for Addressing Anti-Muslim Bias in the Courtroom

    by Naveen Khan What Is Anti-Muslim Bias? Imagine being a woman in your 70s bound to a wheel chair.  You have just lost your husband.  You are pleading with the justice system to enforce your rent control rights in an apartment where you have been paying rent, for over 20 years. You wear […]

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