SCOTUSblog reports:
A Colorado man who was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of unlawful sexual contact with two teenage girls will get a shot at a new trial, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled today. Miguel Peña-Rodriguez had asked a state trial court for a new trial after two jurors told his lawyers that a third juror had made racially biased remarks about Peña-Rodriguez and his main witness, who are both Hispanic. But the state trial court rejected Peña-Rodriguez's request, citing a state evidentiary rule that generally bars jurors from testifying about statements made during deliberations that might call the verdict into question. In a major ruling on juror bias and fair trials, the Supreme Court reversed that holding by a vote of 5-3 and sent Peña-Rodriguez's case back to the lower courts for them to consider the two jurors' testimony for the first time.
Supreme Court's decision in Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado.
Also at Reuters, NYT, NPR, USA Today, and Bloomberg.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 08 2017, @11:17PM (2 children)
Societies are moving away from violently imposed government fiat and toward a paradigm of voluntary private contracts. "Unlawful sexual contact" won't exist and non-consensual sexual contact will be just another breach of contract that the courts can deal with easily. Without governments interfering, people won't have guns held to their heads and won't be forced to do things against their will.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 08 2017, @11:48PM (1 child)
What courts? Courts are part of the government. Also what contract? I really doubt anyone who do non-consensual sexual contact is going to sign a contract with his/her victims.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 08 2017, @11:58PM
He's trying not to make sense.