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Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 642 Filed 03/11/22 Page 44 of 66
2. Inferable bias
““Inferable’ or ‘inferred’ bias exists ‘when a juror discloses a fact that bespeaks a
risk of partiality sufficiently significant to warrant granting the trial judge discretion to
excuse the juror for cause, but not so great as to make mandatory a presumption of bias.’”
Daugerdas, 867 F. Supp. 2d at 474 (quoting United States v. Greer, 285 F.3d 158, 171
(2d Cir. 2002)). A court should dismiss a potential juror for inferable bias “after having
received responses from the juror that permit an inference that the juror in question would
not be able to decide the matter objectively.” Torres, 128 F.3d at 47. “[T]his is so even
though the juror need not be asked the specific question of whether he or she could
decide the case impartially.” Jd.
“Moreover, once facts are elicited that permit a finding of inferable bias, then, just
as in the situation of implied bias, the juror’s statements as to his or her ability to be
impartial become irrelevant.” /d. “The crux of the implied bias analysis 1n a case like this
one is found in an examination of the similarities between the juror’s experiences and the
incident giving rise to the trial.” Zorres, 128 F.3d at 48 (quoting Gonzales v. Thomas, 99
F.3d 978, 989 (10th Cir. 1996)). Assuming this Court does not imply bias, it should
nevertheless infer bias.
In United States v. Torres, the defendant was convicted of conspiracy to launder
the proceeds of a heroin trafficking scheme by structuring financial transactions. 128 F.3d
at 41. Over the defense’s objection, the district court (Judge Preska) dismissed for cause a
potential juror who admitted that she “had at one time engaged in the ‘structuring’ of
cash transactions.” /d. at 42. On appeal, the Second Circuit affirmed, concluding that the
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Document Details
| Filename | DOJ-OGR-00009736.jpg |
| File Size | 686.3 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 94.4% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 1,863 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-03 17:49:49.305639 |