WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has ordered a new court hearing for a black Texas prison inmate who claims improper testimony about his race tainted his death sentence.
The justices voted 6-2 Wednesday in favor of inmate Duane Buck. Buck had tried for years to get federal courts to look at his claim that his rights were violated when jurors were told by a defense expert witness that Buck was more likely to be dangerous in the future because he is black.
Chief Justice John Roberts said in his majority opinion that the federal appeals court that heard Buck’s case was wrong to deny him a hearing.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.
Buck was convicted of killing his former girlfriend and another man in 1995.