SCOTUS Throws Out Murder Conviction....Racial Discrimination

SummerMadness · Jun 22, 2019

The issue sidestepped here is this is not the first case where a biased jury that excluded African Americans to secure a conviction has happened. There are many that have been executed and likely on death row due to this bias. There is a need for criminal justice reform and with this kind of bias we should not have a death penalty. Regardless, this man needs to be paid damages by the state.

JacobKStarkey · Jun 22, 2019

President Trump could pardon him of any federal crime, yes.

Arcangl86 · Jun 22, 2019

Yes, but it's a state crime he was tried for.

Wrangler · Jun 22, 2019

Arcangl86 said:
It's a federal case because preventing somebody from serving on a jury because of race, sex, or religion is a violation of the 14th amendment.

Hmmm. I do not believe anyone was legally prevented; more like the prosecutor using discretion in who to approve or disapprove of. Each side gets to approve or reject potential jury members. Is the 14A to be interpreted that neither the prosecutor nor defense has discretion any more in picking jury members?

Wrangler · Jun 22, 2019

Aryeh Jay said:
When I first read this story I thought that something must be wrong. Six trials, Prosecutors never found a murder weapon or any physical evidence tying him to the scene. There were no witnesses, this just didn’t seem right or make any sense. But then I saw a picture of this cold blooded murder, you can see it in his eyes; he is as guilty as can be.

I hope you never serve as a jury member if I am ever a Defendant.

Goonie · Jun 22, 2019

Wrangler said:
I hope you never serve as a jury member if I am ever a Defendant.

He is poeing. Named after Nathaniel Poe who made a point of adopting an opinion not his, and running it into the ground.

Larniavc · Jun 22, 2019

Ana the Ist said:
I gotta say....for as much as I hated him as a SCOTUS pick, I haven't disagreed with him much.

I was thinking the same thing myself.

Goonie · Jun 22, 2019

Larnievc said:
I was thinking the same thing myself.

Not had the big decisions yet, from abortion to voting rights.

Larniavc · Jun 22, 2019

Goonie said:
Not had the big decisions yet, from abortion to voting rights.

Yeah, I’m just on the outside looking in but I expected him to be far more terrible than he seems to be up to this point.

Arcangl86 · Jun 22, 2019

Wrangler said:
Hmmm. I do not believe anyone was legally prevented; more like the prosecutor using discretion in who to approve or disapprove of. Each side gets to approve or reject potential jury members. Is the 14A to be interpreted that neither the prosecutor nor defense has discretion any more in picking jury members?

They have plenty of discretion. They just cannot exclude people for inherent qualities. This prosecutor has a history of disproportionately striking Black jurors and often questions them rigorously until he finds a good pretense to exclude them.

trunks2k · Jun 22, 2019

Wrangler said:
I hope you never serve as a jury member if I am ever a Defendant.

Don't thank anything he posts seriously.

JacobKStarkey · Jun 22, 2019

K's ruling is soundly within the case law and Constitutionally consistent.

This suspect may well have murdered the victims, but to convict and potentially send him to the execution chamber our law and culture require that it be done correctly,

Aryeh Jay · Jun 22, 2019

Wrangler said:
I hope you never serve as a jury member if I am ever a Defendant.

You should be just fine if you are innocent unless you have guilty eyes or a guilty complexion.

rjs330 · Jun 22, 2019

Aryeh Jay said:
When I first read this story I thought that something must be wrong. Six trials, Prosecutors never found a murder weapon or any physical evidence tying him to the scene. There were no witnesses, this just didn’t seem right or make any sense. But then I saw a picture of this cold blooded murder, you can see it in his eyes; he is as guilty as can be. Let the President decide and spare the State of Mississippi of another costly trial to keep this dangerous person off our streets.

It seems that without evidence or witnesses it would be pretty hard to convict someone no matter whos on the jury. It sounds like they tried and couldn't get a conviction the first 5 times. What the heck are they using as evidence?

JacobKStarkey · Jun 22, 2019

A guilty complexion will get a conviction every time, yeah

Arcangl86 · Jun 22, 2019

rjs330 said:
It seems that without evidence or witnesses it would be pretty hard to convict someone no matter whos on the jury. It sounds like they tried and couldn't get a conviction the first 5 times. What the heck are they using as evidence?

It seems their evidence is limited to him being fired a couple of weeks earlier from the site of the crime, being owed $30 by one of the victims and a tiny amount of gun powder residue that he explained by saying he was handling fireworks a few days earlier. It seems to be a very weak case, and imo at this point, it seems more like a personal vendetta.

variant · Jun 22, 2019

JacobKStarkey said:
The process ends when the accused gets a fair trial not before.

I don't think Mississippi can give him a fair trial since they won't accept anything other than a guilty verdict and they only have flimsy evidence.

variant · Jun 22, 2019

rjs330 said:
It seems that without evidence or witnesses it would be pretty hard to convict someone no matter whos on the jury. It sounds like they tried and couldn't get a conviction the first 5 times. What the heck are they using as evidence?

It's more depressing that none of the 5 juries reached a not guilty verdict given the state of the evidence.

JacobKStarkey · Jun 22, 2019

variant said:
I don't think Mississippi can give him a fair trial since they won't accept anything other than a guilty verdict and they only have flimsy evidence.

I think you are wrong.

Goonie · Jun 23, 2019

JacobKStarkey said:
I think you are wrong.

6 failures to provide a fair trial says otherwise.

SCOTUS Throws Out Murder Conviction....Racial Discrimination

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