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Appeals Court Upholds Thomas Webster's Conviction, Rejects Bias Claim

May 28, 2024, 03:18 PM

A federal appeals court has unanimously rejected an appeal by Thomas Webster, a former New York City police officer, who argued that his conviction related to the January 6 Capitol riots should be overturned due to alleged juror bias. The three-judge panel, which included two appointees of former President Donald Trump, Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, and one appointee of former President Barack Obama, ruled that the liberal political leanings of Washington, D.C. do not inherently bias juries against January 6 defendants. Webster's defense had claimed that the jury pool was prejudiced because of the district's overwhelming vote for President Joe Biden. The court upheld Webster's conviction, siding with the Department of Justice and affirming that the political composition of the jury pool does not constitute grounds for a change of venue or a new trial.