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Sotomayor Decries Mississippi Racial Jury Standard After Appeal Denial

6/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Justice Sonia Sotomayor called Mississippi’s racial-bias jury standard “certainly wrong,” warning it burdens defendants.
Prosecutors struck Black juror prospects five times as often as whites and screened Black but not comparable whites.
Mississippi’s Supreme Court upheld Clark’s conviction under the contested standard that requires proof the verdict would differ.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Clark’s appeal, leaving him incarcerated while Sotomayor cited 2019 Flowers v. Mississippi ruling urging split resolution.

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Story summary

Justice Sonia Sotomayor called Mississippi’s racial-bias jury standard “certainly wrong,” warning it burdens defendants.
Prosecutors struck Black juror prospects five times as often as whites and screened Black but not comparable whites.
Mississippi’s Supreme Court upheld Clark’s conviction under the contested standard that requires proof the verdict would differ.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Clark’s appeal, leaving him incarcerated while Sotomayor cited 2019 Flowers v. Mississippi ruling urging split resolution.