THE FUSE

As a career prosecutor, I have heard it for decades from the jury box as both sides attempt to select a fair and impartial jury: “He looks guilty.” Or upon hearing the charges, “I knew it! He definitely looks like a (fill in the blank).” Statements like these are distinct from assumptions about police procedure, such as the belief that anyone who has been arrested “must be guilty of something.” Conclusions based upon appearances alone before a single piece of evidence has been introduced in court indicate potential predisposition and bias, and are deeply concerning for everyone involved.