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February 23, 2017

Supreme Court Halts Execution of Texas Prisoner, Citing Racism
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The Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of a Texas prisoner
Wednesday, after ruling his own defense team presented a jury with
racist comments. Duane Buck was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend
in 1996. At his trial, a state psychologist called by the defense
testified that African-American criminals are more likely to pose a
future danger to the public. Writing for the majority in a 6-2 decision,
Chief Justice John Roberts ruled, "[The] testimony appealed to a
powerful racial stereotype-that of black men as 'violence prone.'"


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