(ConservativeFreePress.com) – On Tuesday, the D.C. Appellate court ruled that a conviction could not be thrown out just because of the alleged political bias in a certain district. The appeal had been filed by a former New York police officer who has been charged over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
The ruling had been unanimous in the court which included one Obama appointee and two Trump appointees. This decision is taking away one of the main defenses that former President Donald Trump’s supporters have used.
Circuit Judge Patricia Millet wrote in the ruling that the political inclination of a district was not an indication of whether or not an individual was able to impartially serve in court.
Thomas Webster, who brought forward the appeal, has been convicted of a misdemeanor and five felonies, including assault of a police officer, for his actions during the Capitol attack. The court upheld his previous sentencing which requires him to serve a ten-year sentence in prison.
Prior to his trial, Webster had argued that the jury pool in his trial was tainted because of the city’s Democratic leanings. However, his appeal using the same argument had failed in the appeals court.
Millet in the ruling points out that there is nothing in the record to suggest that the jury pool had preconceived ideas about Webster or that they were even aware of who he was. She pointed out that the lack of evidence also included a general lack of any media coverage about who Webster was and what he had done.
Trump has made a similar argument for his own criminal cases arguing that New York is a left-leaning city making his hush money trial jury tainted.
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