@newsfromkerri
Quick sidebar from me: Change of venue hearings are always interesting to reporters. It's kind of like a report card on how we did. Local media didn't sensationalize this case, in my opinion. It was one of the worst things to ever happen in our community and entire region.
Back on the record in Latah Co. District Court. State v. Kohberger continues. Next defense witness is Dr. Amani El-Alayli, a professor at EWU. She is a consultant and social cognition researcher.
She supports a change of venue for a fair trial. Emotions can reduce impartiality, El-Alayli says in her court report. This case took a substantial emotional toll on Latah County, she wrote. Defense attorney Anne Taylor is handling this questioning.
"Potential effects of media coverage on prospective jurors" is now being shown in court. The research shows pre-trial publicity is linked to outcomes, El-Alayli says. If someone is exposed to case, the tendency is it affects judgment in terms of likeability, criminality, guilt.
Media stories may provide easy decision shortcuts that can cause people to make judgments of guilt about Kohberger, she reports. Examples of headlines about the Moscow murders are being introduced, such as "Kohberger indicted by grand jury." Authorities can boost pre-trial bias.
Authority figures in a small community, such as Moscow, are typically trusted. For example, Chief Fry said he was certain the correct person was arrested, but no trial had taken place, the expert says.
UI President doubled down on saying the right person was arrested, and he is a trusted authority figure in this university town, she says. Pairing of defendant's name and photo with negative terms creates an automatic response, El-Alayli says.
Photos and ominous headlines can give jurors a bias as soon as they see Kohberger in court, the expert says. Media played a role in these emotional influences. There was motivation to believe that the police had arrested the correct person, she says.
That "sigh of relief" assumes he is guilty, she says. If you live in region where these four murders occurred, empathy for victims, fear and other factors can influence jurors. Once a person develops impressions about guilt, it can impede his/her ability to be a fair juror.
Confirmation bias and belief perseverance research indicates people tend to stick with their opinions, even when contradictory evidence is introduced, the EWU professor says.
Cognitive dissonance creates an inner clash, such as a conflict between community loyalty and belief in the defendant's innocence, El-Alayli says. They know the community wants closure, and reality can be distorted when this happens.
Expert says mitigating juror bias isn't feasible in Latah County. During jury selection, potential jurors may be unable to report exposure fully. It would be hard to find people who have not been exposed to this case or are unbiased, according to the testimony.
Kohberger's trial is expected to take three months, beginning on June 2. El-Alayli says jury instructions to disregard information are typically ineffective and can backfire. Factual or emotional pre-trial publicity still have influence, she says.
Jury deliberation does not undo pre-trial publicity effects, even when only some jurors were exposed, according to this researcher. Group leanings can become stronger with discussion. Recommended best practice: Use jurors who have less exposure and less reason for prejudgment.
In Latah Co, potential jurors have been to vigils, consumed media, had emotional experiences. Al-Alayli says jurors in this case should be as far away as Moscow as possible.