Bias is an unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice. Bias against certain traits, such as race, religion, sex, and handicaps, is prohibited in certain areas, such as employment and public services. In deciding legal disputes, a judge is duty bound to render an unbiased opinion, based upon a fair and impartial application of the law to the facts of the case.
For some state law enforcement purposes, a bias incident is a crime defined as any suspected or confirmed offense or unlawful act which occurs to a person, private property, or public property on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
