In Curtis Flowers murder case, can justice be served?
In 1996, Curtis Flowers, a 39 year-old African American, was accused of murdering four people in Mississippi. He now prepares to go to trial for a sixth time. The previous court appearances resulted in two mistrials and three overturned convictions. The stark racial divide in the small Mississippi community of Winona is making it nearly impossible to build a jury of Flowers’ peers, says Charlie Smith, news editor at The Greenwood Commonwealth, who has been following the trial.
Charlie Smith joins us with more on whether Flowers can receive a fair trial. We also speak with Shaila Dewan, national correspondent for our partner, The New York Times. She has reported on a study that shows juries are often drawn along racial lines in southern courts.
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