U.S. adults believe white defendants are more likely than Black defendants to receive a fair trial, according to a recent Economist / YouGov report.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents say it is very or somewhat likely for “a white defendant accused of a crime to get a fair trial in the U.S.” Only 10% say it was very or somewhat unlikely, while 17% said it was neither likely nor unlikely and 8% were unsure.
By comparison, 34% said it was likely or very likely for “a Black defendant accused of a crime to get a fair trial in the U.S.,” while 37% said it was unlikely or very unlikely, 20% said it was neither likely or unlikely and 8% were not sure.
There are notable differences in views based on the political affiliation and race of respondents.
There is widespread agreement that white defendants are likely to receive a fair trial, with 68% of white and 70% of Black respondents saying this is likely or very likely. Similarly, 77% of Democrats, 66% of Independents and 62% of Republicans say this is likely or very likely.
When it comes to Black defendants, only 20% of Black respondents say it is very or somewhat likely for them to receive a fair trial, while 58% say this is very or somewhat unlikely.
By comparison, 40% of white respondents said that it is very or somewhat likely for a Black defendant to receive a fair trial, while 34% said it is very or somewhat unlikely.
There are also significant differences depending on political affiliation, with 61% of Republicans saying a fair trial is very or somewhat likely for Black defendants, compared to 38% of Independents and 17% of Democrats.
Similarly, only 12% of Republicans say a fair trial is very or somewhat unlikely, compared to 37% of Independents and 59% of Democrats.
A majority (56%) of all respondents said it is very or somewhat common “for innocent people to be arrested for crimes they didn’t commit,” compared to 31% who said it is very or somewhat uncommon and 13% who were not sure.
When asked about someone “being convicted of crimes they didn’t commit,” 44% said it is very or somewhat common, 41% said it is very or somewhat uncommon and 15% were unsure.
Respondents were confident that “someone who murders a white American will be convicted for the crime,” with 64% saying it is very or somewhat likely, compared to only 8% who say it is very or somewhat unlikely.
By comparison, 42% say it is very or somewhat likely “that someone who murders a Black American will be convicted for the crime,” while 26% say it is very or somewhat unlikely.
The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3%. The full report is available here. The topline results are available here.
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