Sincere fairness goals do not prevent race-based misjudgment in prosecutors

Evidence

The entry point is that, as noted above, the social psychological research studies on implicit bias, identity anxiety, and stereotype threat provide powerful evidence that even when individuals have fairness as a goal, deep concern is still warranted. For example, the research showing that Black men are misjudged as larger and more threatening due to their race has ramifications for witness and police officer actions, accounts, and trial testimony. Prosecutors also are at risk of holding this association, which may affect charging decisions, plea negotiations, and sentencing recommendations. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1380

Categorization

• XREF: Core evidence for the reader’s conviction-vs-measured-bias divergence question in the institutional legal context.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 1380