Court Report

Death Sentence Nixed Over Racial Prejudice

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court threw out the death sentence and conviction in a Louisiana murder case, citing racial prejudice in the actions of a prosecutor. By a 7-2 vote, the justices said state prosecutor Jim Williams — who called the murder trial his "O.J. Simpson case" — improperly excluded blacks from the jury that convicted Allen Snyder of killing his estranged wife's companion. Snyder is black and the jurors were white. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said the trial judge should have blocked Williams from striking a black juror. Alito's opinion made no mention of Simpson. Read more...
Posted by Webmaster at March 20, 2008 12:07 AM