Examining Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts

• In Event: Social Unrest, Anti-Black Racism, and Bias in Sentencing

Abstract

Accusations of racial and ethnic bias permeate throughout the criminal justice system, however, outside of sentencing, examinations of bias in the court system have been rare. This statewide study examines racial and ethnic bias in courts using a mixed method approach of court actor surveys, in-depth interviews, and official data in one Midwestern state. Results show some evidence of bias, however, due to data limitations it is unclear how much this bias may negatively impact defendants in the court system. Policy implications and future research will also be discussed.

Authors

• Jennifer LaPrade, Missouri State University

• Ethan Amidon, Missouri State University

• Katelyn McMahon, Missouri State University