A Fear of Too Much Justice: Confronting Systemic Racism in the Death Penalty

Half a century after Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart decried systemic racism in the administration of the death penalty, Black, Latinx, and Native American people continue to be disproportionately represented on the federal and state death rows. Meanwhile, crimes against white victims are the ones for which the death penalty are overwhelmingly sought. And yet, for the past thirty years, the U.S. Supreme Court has thwarted efforts to challenge systemic racism in the death penalty based on what Justice William Brennan characterized as "a fear of too much justice."

Join the American Constitution Society for an examination of what led to and perpetuates the stark racial disparities in the death penalty and how can they be addressed at both the state and federal level.

Introductory Remarks:
Russ Feingold, ACS President

Featuring:
Catherine M. Grosso, Professor of Law, Michigan State University
Henderson Hill, Senior Counsel, ACLU Capital Punishment Project
Alexis Hoag, Associate Research Scholar in the Faculty of Law; Lecturer in Law, Columbia Law School
Liliana Segura, Senior Reporter, The Intercept, Moderator