Black History: Special Delivery!!
The U.S. Supreme Court will be examining racial prejudice in jury selection; as justices are considering a case involving a black teenager that was sentenced to death by an all white jury in the state of Georgia. The case is being brought as an appeal on behalf of Timothy Foster. Foster admitted to being involved in the murder of a 79 year old white woman back in 1987. He was sentenced to death by jurors. Lawyers are appealing the case because they say that Foster was intellectually disabled.
Prosecutors have continued to assert that Foster’s race had nothing to do with five black jurors being excluded from the jury pool. Notes from the original trial indicate that the race of 5 black jurors was note by prosecutors. If the Supreme Court determines that the reasons for exclusion of these black jurors was not justified it could have significant implications for the U.S. justice system which could include having to administer a legal procedure called the “Batson Test” which would require prosecutors to demonstrate non racial reasons for excluding a juror.
Steven Bright, Foster’s lawyer said, “The criminal-justice system is the part of society least affected by the civil rights movement: Ninety-five percent of the prosecutors in this country are white………but I go to the courthouse, its just like 1940.
Read more about his case at Theroot.com
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