How Racism and Prosecutorial Misconduct Put Innocent Men on Death Row in Alameda County

Background

In 1995, Ernest Dykes was sentenced to death for the killing of a 9-year-old boy in Oakland, California. More than two decades later, his death sentence has been overturned, and he is set to be released next year. Today, Dykes is among multiple men who were on death row for years but will instead serve lesser sentences after a review of death penalty cases in Alameda County.

Systemic Racism and Prosecutorial Misconduct

Alameda County justice system has been rattled by allegations of racism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry among prosecutors. Across past decades, African American and Jewish people were consistently excluded from death penalty juries. In some cases, prosecutors engaged in serious misconduct to secure a guilty verdict.

Jury Selection Materials Missing for 40 of 56 Prosecuted Death Penalty Cases

The review of death penalty cases in Alameda County has been hampered by the fact that jury selection materials for 40 of the 56 death penalty cases prosecuted by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office since 1978 appear to be missing. The missing records make it challenging to weed out cases in which racism or other forms of discrimination may have tainted the process.

Keith Thomas’s Case

Another man spared from the death penalty, Keith Thomas, was made immediately eligible for parole after signs of misconduct by the attorneys who prosecuted him in the late 1990s were discovered. Thomas was sentenced to death in 1998 for the rape and murder of Francia Young, who was abducted from Oakland’s MacArthur BART station. His sentence was reduced to 23 years to life in prison after signs of prosecutorial misconduct emerged in his case, meaning he becomes immediately eligible for parole after serving the minimum 23 years in prison.

The Impacts of Racism and Prosecutorial Misconduct

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price acknowledged that the review has led to the release of individuals who were wrongfully sentenced to death. Price said that her office identifies prosecutors who engaged in wrongdoing, exposes the misconduct, and holds people accountable. She said in an interview, “We are now following the law, and we will not have an office where people are not held accountable for violating their ethics or engaging in prosecutorial misconduct.”

Conclusion

The review of death penalty cases in Alameda County has exposed the impacts of systemic racism and prosecutorial misconduct in the American justice system. It is essential to create more systems that are fair and transparent to ensure that individuals are not wrongfully sentenced to death. Otherwise, the justice system will continue to fail the people it is designed to protect.

Keywords: racism, prosecutorial misconduct, death penalty, Alameda County, justice system, African American, Jewish, Keith Thomas, Francia Young, Pamela Price, wrongful sentencing

Originally Post From https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/07/16/alameda-county-death-row-inmate-to-be-released-next-year-amid-sprawling-review-of-cases-for-signs-of-racial-bias/

Death Row Inmate Set for Release Next Year Amid Sprawling Case Review