05/31/2026
This week, in a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS found that Terry Pitchford, a Black man sentenced to death in Mississippi, was denied a fair trial. The trial court failed to properly apply Batson v. Kentucky, a landmark ruling that bars race-based jury strikes. Prosecutors removed 80% of Black potential jurors leaving him to face a jury of 11 white people and just one Black person.
This case was overseen by now-retired prosecutor Doug Evans, who also oversaw the racially biased jury selection in the 2019 overturned conviction of Curtis Flowers.
Last month, we wrote about how Batson’s 40-year-old promise remains unfulfilled. Read more and join the fight against racially biased jury selection: https://bit.ly/3PTaUuv
