Collecting race data on defendants nearly complete in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A nearly yearlong effort at collecting race data on defendants to identify any potential bias in North Dakota’s justice system will come to an end soon. The court rule that took effect in March 2021 requires that prosecutors filing criminal complaints include the race of adult defendants as perceived by law enforcement officers’ reports. The judiciary’s Minority Justice Implementation Committee will look at the data this spring and identify any issues or disparities. The committee’s chairman, Northeast District Judge Anthony Swain Benson, says the ultimate goal is identifying any types of racial prejudice that may exist in the justice system.