Kavanaugh, Roberts Join Supreme Court Liberal Justices in Death Row Ruling
Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Terry Pitchford, a Black man on death row in Mississippi, can challenge his conviction again because of possible racial bias in jury selection. Justices Roberts and Kavanaugh joined the court’s liberal side to allow his case to return to lower courts for further review.Key Facts
- The Supreme Court decision was 5-4, with Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh joining the liberal justices.
- Terry Pitchford was convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for robbery and murder in Mississippi.
- Prosecutors removed four of the five eligible Black jurors during Pitchford’s trial, leaving only one Black juror.
- The case involves the Batson v. Kentucky ruling, which bans excluding jurors based on race.
- Courts must check if prosecutors' reasons for striking jurors are genuine or cover up discrimination.
- A previous federal judge found Pitchford was denied a fair chance to challenge those justifications.
- The 5th Circuit Court had ruled against Pitchford, saying his lawyers did not properly object during trial.
- The Supreme Court overturned that decision, allowing racial bias claims to be reconsidered in lower courts.
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