Floyd v. Alabama
Floyd v. Alabama
Opinion
The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.
Statement of Justice SOTOMAYOR, with whom Justice BREYER joins, respecting the denial of certiorari.
Petitioner Christopher Floyd was sentenced to death by an Alabama jury that was selected in a manner that raises serious concerns under our precedent in
Batson v. Kentucky,
If these facts sound familiar, it is because they are remarkably similar to those in
Foster,
where we concluded that peremptory strikes of jurors "were 'motivated in substantial part by discriminatory intent.' " 578 U.S., at ----,
That we have not granted certiorari should not be construed as complacence or an affirmance of all of the reasoning of the courts below. The unusual posture in which Floyd raised his
Batson
and
J.E.B.
claims warrants caution in the exercise of the Court's review here. Yet, courts reviewing claims in circumstances like these must be steadfast in identifying, investigating, and correcting for improper bias in the jury selection process. Such discrimination " 'casts doubt on the integrity of the judicial process,' and places the fairness of a criminal proceeding in doubt."
Powers v. Ohio,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Christopher Anthony FLOYD v. ALABAMA.
- Status
- Relating-to