Forum helps lawyers, others recognize biases

Over 500 participants from 10 agencies participated in the criminal justice forum at Dover Downs.

Jessica Masulli Reyes, The News Journal
More than 500 people who work in the Delaware criminal justice system, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and police officers, underwent training and discussed ways to improve the overall fairness and efficiency of the state’s criminal justice system on Wednesday at Dover Downs Hotel.

Over 500 lawyers, judges, police officers and others who work in the criminal justice system participated in implicit bias training at Dover Downs on Wednesday.

The statewide training was an opportunity for people to learn about the biases and stereotypes that, without realizing it, can negatively impact the administration of justice.

The event stemmed from an ongoing effort by the Access to Justice Commission's Committee on Fairness in the Criminal Justice System – a group of nearly 30 professionals that held public hearings a year ago to explore ways to reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system and make it more equitable.

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One of the recommendations from those hearings by experts from the Equal Justice Institute and the University of Pennsylvania’s Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice was that the state hold an implicit bias training.

“Prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges in criminal cases have a special responsibility,” said Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Leo E. Strine Jr. in a statement. “It is essential that criminal trials be conducted fairly and professionally. This joint training will help us all live up to the high standards the people of Delaware rightly expect of us in these critical cases.”

Rachel Godsil, a Seton Hall University School of Law professor and expert on implicit bias, gave a presentation to the group about the social science research surrounding how implicit bias and stereotyping can affect judgment and behavior. She discussed the practices that have been shown to reduce bias and how to replace it with objective decision-making.

The second half of the forum focused on courtroom procedures. Prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges had panel discussions and mock demonstrations.

Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, jmreyes@delawareonline.com or Twitter @JessicaMasulli.