Opinion ID: 1057701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 39

Heading: Discrimination Based on Race

Text: Mr. Banks argues that the very same statistical study discredited in McCleskey v. Kemp and several other general studies [59] demonstrate the existence of racial discrimination in the imposition of the sentence of death and that Tennessee lacks any means of ensuring that discrimination does not infest the death sentencing process. However, he presents no evidence of improper discriminatory purpose with regard to his prosecution on the part of the District Attorney General, the trial court, or the jury that convicted him, and he provides no statistical information specifically regarding racial discrimination in connection with the imposition of the death penalty in Tennessee. In the absence of other, more direct evidence of a racially discriminatory intent, the evidence offered by Mr. Banks falls far short of the sort of exceptionally clear proof that would enable the courts to conclude that the actions of the decision-makers in his case were motivated by an improper discriminatory purpose based on Mr. Banks's race or the race of Mr. Banks's victim. Accordingly, we concur with the conclusion of the Court of Criminal Appeals that Mr. Banks failed to prove that the imposition of the death penalty in his case was the result of a racially discriminatory purpose. 2.