A new survey of voters in Washington, D.C. suggests that the jury pool for January 6 defendants in the nation’s capital is irredeemably tainted against those defendants and likely to deprive them of their right to a fair trial.The survey of 422 “jury eligible voters,” conducted by Triton Polling and Research and first reported by the Epoch Times, found that two-thirds of those polled used words like “insurrectionists,” “terrorists,” “domestic terrorists,” and “traitors” to describe the people who took part in the January 6 2021 protests and subsequent riot at the Capitol.Two-thirds of those surveyed said they “strongly agree” with the statement that the actions of the protesters that day was an “act of terrorism.” Only about eight percent said they strongly disagreed with the statement.The vast majority of the voters polled, nearly 90 percent, also said they “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that President Trump was responsible for the protesters’ behavior that day. Three-fourth, or 76 percent, said they strongly agree with the statement that Mr. Trump’s supporters are racists. Asked if the former president’s supporters should be stopped at all cost, 47 percent of those asked said they strongly agree with the sentiment and another 21 percent said they “somewhat agree” with it.Four-fifths of the people surveyed said they would be willing to serve on a jury judging the January 6 defendants if asked to do so. Nearly 40 percent said they strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement that they “want to be on that jury to make sure the defendant is found guilty and held accountable for the events of that day.”Informed that the penalty for insurrection, treason or domestic terrorism is life in prison or even death, nearly half, or 48 percent, said they strongly or somewhat agree with the statement that such penalties would “be a fair punishment for anyone who participated in any of the events of January 6.”Most of those surveyed, 67 percent, also said they strongly or somewhat agree with the statement that “anyone who participated in the events at the Capitol on January 6 should serve prison time … regardless of what they did.” About 22 percent said they did not agree with the statement.Many of the 1,265 January 6 defendants charged by the Department of Justice have attempted to get their trials moved out of the city of Washington in order to avoid what their lawyers say is a tainted jury pool. Mr. Trump has also sought to have his trial in connection with January 6 moved out of the city.
