Supreme Court sides with Black death row inmate who alleged racial discrimination in jury selection The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Terry Pitchford, a Black death row inmate from Mississippi, who argued that racial discrimination occurred during his jury selection. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Kavanaugh, found that the trial court did not follow the proper procedure for addressing claims of racial bias in the use of peremptory strikes. Pitchford’s defense lawyers had objected to the prosecutor’s removal of Black potential jurors, citing the Batson v. Kentucky precedent, but were not given the opportunity to rebut the prosecutor’s stated race-neutral reasons.

• The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Terry Pitchford, a Black death row inmate, who alleged racial discrimination in jury selection.
• The case, Pitchford v. Cain, focused on the prosecutor’s use of peremptory strikes to remove Black potential jurors.
• Justice Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion, stating that the trial court failed to properly resolve the Batson claim regarding racial discrimination.
• The conviction arose from a 2004 grocery store robbery and murder in Mississippi.
• Pitchford was sentenced to death, while his accomplice, who was 16 at the time, received a 20-year prison sentence.