5 SCOTUS Rulings that Amplify Racial Inequity
1. McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)
- Ruling: Statistical evidence of racial bias in sentencing isn't enough to prove discrimination in individual cases.
- Impact: Made challenging systemic racial bias in courts extremely difficult.
2. United States v. Armstrong (1996)
- Ruling: To claim selective prosecution, defendants must prove prosecutors didn't pursue similar cases against other races.
- Impact: Set an almost insurmountable bar for proving racial bias in prosecutions.
3. Whren v. United States (1996)
- Ruling: Police can make traffic stops for any violation, regardless of their actual motives.
- Impact: Enabled pretextual stops, potentially facilitating racial profiling.
4. Alexander v. Sandoval (2001)
- Ruling: Individuals can't sue to enforce regulations on disparate impact under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
- Impact: Limited ability to challenge policies with disproportionate racial effects.
5. Heien v. North Carolina (2014)
- Ruling: Evidence from stops based on an officer's "reasonable mistake of law" is admissible.
- Impact: Expanded police discretion in conducting stops and searches.
From Alexander, Michelle, author. The New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York :New Press, 2010.
#CriminalJusticeReform #SupremeCourt #RacialEquity