Congressional report finds Blacks targeted more than Whites for death penalty

Jet, April 4, 1994

A recent congressional report revealed that the federal government seeks the death penalty in drug-related murders for Blacks far more often than for Whites.

The report, from the House Judiciary Committee's civil and constitutional rights subcommittee, noted that 29 of 37 cases in which federal prosecutors have sought the death penalty since 1988 were against Blacks--four were against Whites, and four were against Latino defendants.

Of the 37 federal cases, six of the defendants have been sentenced to death--two of them White--while several cases are still pending.

The cases were tried under the 1988 drug king-pin law, which authorized the death penalty for drug-related killings.

The federal government has not executed anyone since 1963 and executions are likely to take at least one to two years because of appeals filed by defense attorneys.

The report contrasted that with a Justice Department study released last year that found Whites represented three-quarters of the convictions under the same overall statute from 1987-1990, before any death penalty cases were brought.

However, that study did not indicate how many were involved in a murder, which is necessary for a death penalty prosecution.

"We look at the facts and the law and make a determination based on that," said Justice Department spokesman John Russell.