Allegations that Alameda County prosecutors intentionally excluded Black people and Jews from death penalty juries

A federal judge has ordered Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price to review all death penalty cases after finding evidence that prosecutors may have wrongfully excluded Black people and Jews from jury selection in homicide cases. The order comes after a 31-year-old murder case revealed prosecutors had engaged in misconduct by purposely excluding certain jurors. The defendant, Ernest Dykes, won a stay of execution in 2011 and filed a petition for habeas corpus in 2012, arguing for a fair trial. Price recently discovered notes showing prosecutors’ discriminatory actions in jury selection, prompting a review of 35 active death penalty cases dating back to 1977.

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