Top U.S. court spurns Georgia death row inmate's racist juror claim

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for a black Georgia death row inmate to be executed, turning away his bid to challenge his death sentence for the 1990 murder of his sister-in-law on the basis that the trial was tainted by a racist white juror who questioned whether black people have souls.

Keith “Bo” Tharpe was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury of 10 white people and two black people in Georgia’s Jones County. The allegations of racial bias arose from an interview with one of the jurors years later, not comments made during the trial.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a statement agreeing with the court’s decision not to hear the case, noting that it turned on whether Tharpe could appeal and not the merits of his claim. But Sotomayor said she was “profoundly troubled” by the evidence Tharpe had uncovered.

“These racist sentiments, expressed by a juror entrusted with a vote over Tharpe’s fate, suggest an appalling risk that racial bias swayed Tharpe’s sentencing,” Sotomayor wrote.

-snip-

SUPREME COURT MARCH 18, 2019 / 9:53 AM / UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO
Lawrence Hurley
4 MIN READ


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-deathpenalty/top-u-s-court-spurns-georgia-death-row-inmates-racist-juror-claim-idUSKCN1QZ1MC

[bitterross]

1. THIS is the kind of case for which Pardons were envisoned.

This would be a perfect case where a pardon seems to be in order. Unfortunately, the GA governor is a racist just like Trump and the juror in question. So it will never happen.

[Massacure]

2. Georgia's governor couldn't issue a pardon if he wanted to

The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles has the exclusive power to issue pardons and commute sentences in Georgia and Brian Kemp hasn't been in office long enough to appoint one of its members.