Biased Juror Sparks New Tax Fraud Trial for Mexican-American Man

An Idaho man of Mexican descent will get a new trial on charges he aided and assisted in preparing and presenting false and fraudulent tax returns, after a federal appeals court said a racially biased juror may have tainted his guilty verdict.

The presence of a racially biased juror during trial and deliberations violated Andres Sanchez’s Sixth Amendment right to trial by an impartial jury, even though the judge dismissed the juror before accepting the verdict from an 11-juror panel, a split Ninth Circuit said Tuesday. There was a strong presumption of prejudice, and the government didn’t meet its burden ...