Racial Comments During Voir Dire Prompt TV Exec to Quit
An ABC TV affiliate in Fresno, Calif., announced on Sunday that one of its top executives is quitting because of comments he made during jury selection in a carjacking case.
The comments by Bob Hall, president and general manager of KFSN (Channel 30) since 2006, prompted the judge in the case to dismiss the entire 50-person jury pool, the Fresno Bee reports.
The paper reports that while sitting as a potential juror in Fresno County Superior Court last week, Hall said he couldn’t be fair because the defendant was Hispanic, and research by the station’s newsroom showed a propensity for Hispanic males to commit violent crimes. He also reportedly said that prosecutors wouldn’t bother with the cases unless the defendants were guilty.
Hall later issued a statement Friday apologizing for the comments and adding that he didn’t intend to imply that his station had conducted research about minorities and crime.
Hat tip Criminal Justice Journalists.
