Justice is (race)-blind and the Supreme Court leads the way

Defying the predictions of its left-wing critics, the US Supreme Court last week overturned the conviction and death sentence of a black man who’s spent 20 years on Mississippi’s death row.In doing so, the justices nudged the nation another step closer toward color-blind justice.In 2005 Terry Pitchford and Eric Bullins, then 18 and 16, robbed a store in Grenada County, Miss. Bullins fired the shots that killed the shopkeeper; Pitchford, who was carrying only a pellet gun, shot it into the floor. But Bullins took a plea deal, and because of his youth got 20 years in jail — while Pitchford stood trial and was condemned to death.The Supreme Court ruled Pitchford was denied his right to a fair trial, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the 5-4 majority, explained why: During jury selection, the judge let the prosecutor exclude four black jurors without pressing him for credible, race-neutral reasons, or allowing the defense to do so.Striking jurors on the basis of race is unconstitutional.In the past three years, this court has struck down race-based college admissions, race-based hiring and promotion, and race-based legislative districts.Now it’s stood firm against considering race to select a jury.And don’t be misled by the 5-4 vote: The justices agreed unanimously that race-based jury selection is wrong.   The four dissenters —  Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch — questioned whether the trial record demonstrated a serious enough error to actually overturn Pitchford’s conviction.But outrage prevailed.Both Doug Evans, the prosecutor accused of stacking the jury against Pitchford, and Judge Joseph Loper, the trial judge who allowed it to happen, are well known to this court.They’re the same culprits responsible for the death sentence conviction of Curtis Flowers, which the Supremes overturned in 2019.In that 7-2 case, Kavanaugh — also writing for the majority — deplored how “a relentless, d...