Hardison v. Mississippi
Annotate this CaseIn this case, the trial judge erroneously denied Defendant Merlin Hardison's peremptory strike during voir dire, holding that the juror's previous service on a jury in a criminal case was not a race-neutral reason for the strike: the juror had expressed regret that the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Defendant's jury ultimately convicted him, and this appeal followed. Defendant raised nine alleged issues of error at the trial court. Upon review, the Supreme Court found that the trial judge's denial of Defnedant's peremptory strike to be dispositive. Accordingly, the Court affirmed Defendant's conviction.
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