Court Appears Sympathetic to Death-Row Inmate’s Attempt to Challenge Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection

Court appears sympathetic to death-row inmate’s attempt to challenge racial discrimination in jury selection

The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed sympathetic to a Mississippi man who argues that a district attorney violated the Constitution’s ban on racial discrimination in jury selection. Terry Pitchford is on death row for his role in the 2004 robbery and murder of Reuben Britt, who owned a store in Grenada County, Mississippi. At his trial, prosecutor Doug Evans eliminated four potential jurors, all of whom were Black, over the objections of Pitchfor…

U.S. Supreme Court seems likely to rule for a Black death row inmate in Mississippi

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to rule for a Black death row inmate from Mississippi who claims there was racial bias in the makeup of the jury that convicted him. The justices took up an appeal from Terry Pitchford in a case with similarities to that of another Black man on Mississippi’s death row, whose conviction the high court overturned seven years ago. The jury that sentenced Pitchford to death for his role in…