The Batson v. Kentucky ruling, which prohibits prosecutors from rejecting potential jurors based on race, has not been successful in preventing racially biased jury selection, as evidenced by the Innocence Project’s research and cases of wrongful convictions and executions of Black individuals.
The Supreme Court case of Pitchford v. Cain raises concerns about the ability of federal courts to meaningfully review claims of racial discrimination in criminal trials, as the case highlights the procedural barriers of modern post-conviction review and the difficulty of applying the Batson principle in practice.
The California Superior Court of Alameda County vacated Franklin Lynch’s death sentence and conviction due to violations of the state’s Racial Justice Act, finding that Assistant District Attorney James Anderson engaged in racially biased conduct during Lynch’s trial.
Fair and Just Prosecution has filed an amicus brief with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to stop the execution of Cedric Allen Ricks, arguing that newly disclosed prosecution notes show unconstitutional racial discrimination during jury selection in his capital trial.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on March 31 in the long-running Mississippi case of Pitchford v. Cain to determine whether the accused was improperly denied the right to challenge alleged racial discrimination in jury selection.
A coalition of prosecutors, law enforcement leaders and former judges has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, urging it to take a firmer stand against racial discrimination in jury selection and warning that weak enforcement of constitutional safeguards threatens the legitimacy of the justice system nationwide.
The U.S. Supreme Court will review the death sentence of Terry Pitchford in a case that could clarify how rigorously courts must enforce constitutional protections against racial discrimination in jury selection.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to hear Pitchford v. Cain, a case raising allegations of racial discrimination in jury selection, which echoes the Court’s 2019 ruling in Flowers v. Mississippi and could have far-reaching implications for the enforcement of equal protection in jury selection.