The Rittenhouse jurors watch video, but that can't be counted on to prevent bias

Ideally, the 12 men and women who serve as the jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial would base their final judgement solely on the evidence and testimony presented to them.

But humans don't necessarily work that way.

According to psychologists who spoke with NPR, jurors come into the courtroom with their own belief systems, experiences and identities, which all factor into how they decide on a verdict — or even what they see in a video.

"Jurors are not clean slates when they enter the courtroom," said Alexa Bankert, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Georgia. She studies the development and consequences of partisan identities. "They are people with personal and political beliefs and values, including ideology and partisanship."