New study shows race significant factor in death penalty cases

New research by Scott Phillips, associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Denver, finds that in Harris County, TX the District Attorney (DA) was more likely to pursue the death penalty when the defendant was African American and less likely to pursue the death penalty when the victim was African American. The study, “Racial Disparities in the Capital of Capital Punishment,” will be published in the Houston Law Review this fall.

“Conventional wisdom holds that the race of the victim is pivotal,” Phillips says. “But, current research suggests that the race of the defendant and victim are both pivotal.”

Phillips studied whether race influenced the DA’s decision to pursue a death trial or the jury’s decision to impose a death sentence against defendants indicted for capital murder in Harris County, located in the Houston area. He spent several years looking at more than 500 capital murder cases that occurred between 1992-1999. Although Texas has a reputation for executing a large number of people, Harris County executed more people than any other state but Texas.

“Harris County is the capital of capital punishment,” Phillips says. “The county has executed more offenders than all other major urban counties in Texas combined.”

While Phillips’ research shows a clear racial disparity in the DA’s decision to seek the death penalty, the professor is not accusing the DA at the time, John Holmes Jr., of being racist.

The office has a long-standing practice of removing the race of parties from the memo that the DA uses to decide whether to seek death.

“Discrimination implies purposeful action,” Phillips says. “I am certain that the Harris County DA does not intend for race to influence the process.”

In fact, the percentage distribution suggests that the DA sought the death penalty against African American and Caucasian defendants at the same rate. However, the racial disparity is found when looking at the nature of the crime. African American defendants committed murders that were less serious, according to objective measures, yet the odds of the DA pursuing a death penalty trial were 1.75 times higher against African American defendants than Caucasian defendants.

“To impose equal punishment against unequal crimes is to impose unequal punishment,” Philips says.

Source: University of Denver

Related stories:

Subconscious mental connection between blacks, apes may reinforce subtle discrimination
Many U.S. citizens may not hold openly racist beliefs today, but they still may subconsciously link African Americans with apes because people still use words and metaphors that subtly reinforce a less-than-human bias and endorse violence against Blacks, according to a new study.
Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels
(AP) -- Get moving: The nation's new exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2 1/2 hours a week. How much physical activity you need depends largely on age and level of fitness.
3 share Nobel prize for work on AIDS and cancer
(AP) -- Three European scientists shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for separate discoveries of viruses that cause AIDS and cervical cancer, breakthroughs that helped doctors fight the deadly diseases.
Saving lives more efficiently: Cardiac arrest study may help EMS and ERs
When someone's heart suddenly stops beating – a condition called cardiac arrest -- there's a lot that bystanders and ambulance crews can do to get it started again. But if the victim doesn't respond, when should such efforts stop?
Political attitudes are predicted by physiological traits
Is America's red-blue divide based on voters' physiology? A new paper in the journal Science, titled "Political Attitudes Are Predicted by Physiological Traits," explores the link.
As personalized, genomic medicine takes off, four developing countries show the way for others
Developing countries that want the benefits of cutting-edge health care possibilities based on the genetic variation of individual citizens and sub-populations need to foster the new science at home, says a major new Canadian study published today by Nature Publishing Group.
Study Reveals How Multiple Viruses Can Determine Bacterial Cell Fate
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study suggests that bacteria-infecting viruses – called phages – can make collective decisions about whether to kill host cells immediately after infection or enter a latent state to remain within the host cell.
Hurricane Ike ravages Caribbean islands as Hanna hits US
Hurricane Ike lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands early Sunday and threatened to unleash its fury on the Bahamas, Cuba and the US Gulf Coast, as Tropical Storm Hanna continued to batter the US East Coast.

News discussion:

General Science news