In a decision reversing the 29-year-old murder conviction of a black Georgia death row inmate, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court majority, questioned “the shifting explanations, the misrepresentations of the record, and the persistent focus on race” by county prosecutors, despite their protestations that race did not play a role in what the high court held Monday was an unconstitutional push to have an all-white jury decide the case.
In a 25-page opinion released Monday, the high court reversed and remanded the conviction of Timothy Foster, an African-American who as a teenager was convicted by a Floyd County jury in Rome of sexually assaulting, bludgeoning and then strangling a 79-year-old white retired schoolteacher. Five justices joined Roberts; Justice Samuel Alito filed a separate opinion concurring with the judgment. Justice Clarence Thomas, a Georgian, was the sole dissenter.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
