Supreme Court to Hear Mississippi Death Row Case Alleging Racial Bias in Jury Selection

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Tuesday in Washington, D.C., in the case of Terry Pitchford, a Black death row inmate from Mississippi whose conviction for a 2004 murder is under scrutiny due to allegations of racial discrimination in jury selection.

At issue is whether the prosecution, led by then-district attorney Doug Evans, improperly removed nearly all Black jurors during Pitchford’s trial for the killing of grocery store owner Reuben Britt near Grenada. Pitchford, who was 18 at the time of the crime, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, while his younger accomplice, ineligible for the death penalty, fired the fatal shots. Evans, now retired, has a documented history of excluding Black jurors—a pattern cited in prior Supreme Court decisions, most notably in the 2019 ruling that overturned the conviction of Curtis Flowers in a similar district courtroom setting.

Pitchford’s defense argued that trial Judge Joseph Loper failed to adequately consider concerns that Black jurors were being unfairly dismissed, a claim that gained partial support from U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills in 2023. Mills overturned Pitchford’s conviction, pointing to Evans’ past conduct. However, a panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later reinstated the conviction, prompting Pitchford’s current appeal to the nation’s highest court.

The Supreme Court’s review centers on whether Pitchford’s legal team properly objected to the State’s actions during trial and if the Mississippi Supreme Court correctly upheld Pitchford’s conviction. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has defended the state’s conduct in court filings, asserting that Black jurors were not improperly excluded.

The outcome of the case could potentially lead to Pitchford’s release or a new trial if the justices rule in his favor. The ongoing proceedings highlight persistent questions about racial discrimination in jury selection and its impact on capital cases across the country.