Joseph J. Tracey v. Joan Palmateer

Justice Black observed in In re Michael, 826 U.S. 224, 228, 66 S.Ct. 78, 90 L.Ed. 30 (1945): “[I]t is difficult to conceive of a more effective obstruction to the judicial process than a juror who has prejudged the case.” In all due respect, the majority’s refusal to require the trial judge to hold a hearing as to the expressed color-able bias of two jurors before hearing any evidence in the case is a clear travesty of justice. Such a holding is directly contrary to United States Supreme Court precedent.

In this first degree murder trial, before evidence was presented and after the jury was…