New study of peremptory challenges in non-death-penalty cases finds systemic bias, with strikes of black jurors in 72% of cases and white jurors in 0.5% of cases. Reasons include dreadlocks, slouching, short skirt, visiting relatives in jail and negative experiences with law enforcement. NBC Nightly News and Berkeley Law Death Penalty Clinic (h/t @JTashea)

NBC Nightly News broadcast screen shot

Some 1,300 NYC racial equity protesters face fines and jail time for violating curfew. Gothamist

A multidisciplinary group of academics in business, law, engineering, and journalism cite a growing body of empirical evidence that a policy that clears economic and technical hurdles to court records will improve legal practice and the administration of justice. RE: How to build a more open justice system Science Magazine

Ed Walters, CEO and co-founder of the legal research company Fastcase, was featured in a webinar (free and recorded) on the open-law topic, “Copyright of the Annotated,” an evaluation of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Georgia v. PublicResource.Org. Fastcase via YouTube

How Washington State went from access-to-justice pioneer with early successes in its limited license program, to overregulated failure in five short years. ABA Journal

Maricopa County is in the midst of a full-scale test and evaluation period for virtual jury trials, with the hope they will be available as an option to parties beginning in August. The Republic

Amid mass Covid-19 closures, the Michigan Supreme Court found that the Sixth Amendment’s Right to Confrontation can be infringed if video conferencing is used over the objection of the defendant. (MISC) (h/t JusticeTech Download)

Startup Immigrants Like Us is ramping up to handle flood of requests for help since the Supreme Court ruled overturned the Trump administration’s order to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Interview with founder Jonathan Petts via  Law.com International

Judicial candidate in Ohio outlines a 5-pillared “Black agenda” for making probate courts equitable, including disparity audits, affirmative action in hiring magistrate judges, developing stronger law school pipeline to probate practice areas among diverse attorneys. The Enquirer

Texas A&M is partnering with Harvard’s Access to Justice Lab to conduct a randomized study of the early phase of criminal justice proceedings, first appearance, in Texas. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of counsel, currently not required, at this stage. Texas A&M

Social media giants Instagram and Facebook announce bans on content promoting conversion therapy. CNN

Coming Up

July 14-16: 2020 Holistic Defense & Leadership Conferences (HDLC) – National Legal Aid & Defender Association

July 17: Nominations close for the inaugural #makelawbetter American Legal Technology Awards 

July 29-Aug. 4: American Bar Association Virtual Annual Meeting