OUT: RACISM. IN: FACISM. To counter effect of facial biases in legal system, researchers suggest new training. “Researchers at Columbia University are recommending a new form of training to eliminate facial biases that could lead to more severe punishments for defendants with ‘untrustworthy’ features. Certain facial features, such as downturned lips and a heavy brow, can make someone seem untrustworthy, even though these do not have an effect on the person’s character. But according to a new study from Columbia researchers, legal defendants who appear untrustworthy are more likely to be sentenced to death rather than life in prison. This was true even in cases in which participants were conscious of their bias.”