"Getting Explicit About Implicit Bias"
The title of this post is the title of this effective extended discussion published in the latest issue of
Judicatre. which understandibly give particular attention to research regarding criminal case processing. The piece's preamble explains that, to "better understand the effect of implicit bias in the courtroom, Judge Bernice Donald of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit talked with Professors Jeffrey Rachlinski and Andrew Wistrich of Cornell Law School." The whole discussion is interesting, and here are some excerpts:
Implicit bias can play a role at every stage of the process, from the first encounter a suspect has with the police through criminal sentencing. Police might be more inclined to arrest Black suspects and prosecutors might be more apt to pursue cases against Black defendants. Furthermore, judges might be given different information about Black defendants than white defendants. With disparities at every stage, the effect of implicit bias can snowball.