Will Stribling

Harry Pitchford was sentenced to death for his role in a 2004 northern Mississippi grocery store robbery that ended with his friend killing the owner near Grenada.

The jury that convicted Pitchford had one black juror and 11 white jurors.

Pitchford's lawyers argued Prosecutor Doug Evans improperly struck black prospective jurors from the jury pool.

Courts have found Evans had a history of dismissing black jurors for discriminatory reasons.

The Supreme Court, however, did not rule on whether prosecutors intentionally discriminated.

Instead, the 5-4 ruling finds Mississippi's courts failed to properly handle Pitchford's jury discrimination challenge.

The case now returns to the lower courts.

For NPR News, I'm Will Stribling in Jackson, Mississippi.

Terry Pitchford was sentenced to death for his role in a 2004 northern Mississippi grocery store robbery that ended with his friend killing the owner near Grenada.

The jury that convicted Pitchford had one black juror and 11 white jurors.

Pitchford's lawyers argued prosecutor Doug Evans improperly struck black prospective jurors from the jury pool.

Courts have found Evans had a history of dismissing black jurors for discriminatory reasons.

The Supreme Court, however, did not rule on whether prosecutors intentionally discriminate it.

Instead, the 5-4 ruling finds Mississippi's courts failed to properly handle Pitchford's jury discrimination challenge.

The case now returns to the lower courts.

For NPR News, I'm Will Stribling in Jackson, Mississippi.

Terry Pritchard was sentenced to death for his role in a 2004 northern Mississippi grocery store robbery that ended with his friend killing the owner near Grenada.

The jury that convicted Pritchard had one black juror and 11 white jurors.

Pitchford's lawyers argued prosecutor Doug Evans improperly struck black prospective jurors from the jury pool.

Courts have found Evans had a history of dismissing black jurors for discriminatory reasons.