racism

Hecklers are not the judge nor jury. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I know that advocating for the accused is no popularity contest, but about saving the life, liberty, reputation, and livelihood of the client. As one of the faculty of the National Criminal...

Ralph Northam is rightfully in the news over the 1984 photograph accompanying his medical school yearbook entry, depicting a person in a KKK hood next to another in black face makeup. Other writers have already written much of Virginia governor Northam's admitting and later denying...

Judges usually will not question jurors after post-verdict polling, says Fairfax criminal lawyer. Rarely do judges question jurors on their verdicts after they are polled -- within moments of the jury verdict being read in open court -- to assure that this verdict was indeed...

Today, the United States Supreme Court (ruling 5-3) made headway against juror racism. Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado, ___ U.S. ___ (March 6, 2017). Generally, under Peña-Rodriguez, if a juror's words show reliance on racism to convict, the usual prohibition is lifted against being able to impeach...