A Mississippi Today investigation found the Mississippi Supreme Court did not once rule in favor of protecting a struck Black juror between 2015 and 2025, the news outlet reported.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Batson v. Kentucky in 1986 that prosecutors cannot use peremptory strikes to remove jurors on the basis of race. Mississippi Today’s analysis of court records examined more than 50 appealed cases and the reasons prosecutors gave for striking Black jurors.
The review found prosecutors cited factors such as education level, job history, prior experiences with law enforcement, views on the death penalty, having a family member in prison and even giving a prosecutor a “bad vibe,” according to Mississippi Today.
Mississippi Today reported the state Supreme Court considered at least 18 Batson claims from 2015 to 2025 and ruled in favor of protecting a struck Black juror zero times. In the same period, the court affirmed protections for struck white jurors in at least four cases, the analysis said.
The publication also published an interactive tool that lets readers simulate jury selection and see the reasons prosecutors have given for peremptory strikes, Mississippi Today said.
