Conviction tossed in $1 million Bay Area COVID fraud case over juror bias

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a conviction in a Bay Area COVID fraud case, finding that the trial judge failed to remove a juror who showed clear signs of bias. Attila Colar was convicted in twenty twenty-three on forty-four felony counts of defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program while running All Hands on Deck, a parolee rehabilitation program, and sentenced to seventeen years in prison. CalMatters reports that during jury selection, one juror explicitly stated he couldn't set aside personal views about police bias and discrimination—even as the judge asked if he could be impartial. When Colar, who is Black and Muslim, raised concerns about law enforcement targeting of Black religious organizations during trial, that same juror visibly reacted negatively. The appeals court ruled the judge should have removed him, and prosecutors now have the option to retry the case.

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