Overview

• Terry Pitchford, a Black man on death row in Mississippi, has been granted a new trial by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, who overturned his death penalty conviction.
• The judge found that the trial judge did not give Pitchford's defense lawyer enough opportunity to argue that Black jurors were being dismissed for discriminatory reasons.
• The decision was influenced by the history of former District Attorney Doug Evans, who has been accused of discriminating against Black jurors.
• Pitchford was convicted for his role in the 2004 fatal robbery of Crossroads Grocery. His friend, Eric Bullins, shot the store owner while Pitchford fired shots into the floor.
• The state of Mississippi has been ordered to retry Pitchford within six months, or he must be released from custody.