So long as we are on the topic of stereotypes against the rich, the American Lawyer has an article on the problems facing white collar defendants these days. It runs under the headline, "Too Rich to Get a Fair Trial? How To Combat Prejudice Against White-Collars." Among the details: polling data indicating that "the public holds corporate executives in lower esteem than politicians"; and a jury consultant who says "the prejudice she found against wealthy defendants was the highest she has ever seen in more than 25 years as a consultant." The consultant's example was a potential juror who said "that she believed that rich people who wanted to get richer were committing a crime." All kinds of defendants face potential prejudice from jurors, not just white collar defendants. And some white collar defendants are guilty and deserve to go to jail. Still, under the rule of law, all defendants deserve to have their cases heard and decided on the merits of the facts and the law, not on the basis of preconceived notions relating to their professions or other aspects of their identities.
Too Rich For a Fair Trial?
https://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/too-rich-for-a-fair-trial
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