Race plays a sig­nif­i­cant role in who receives the death penal­ty in Washington. Research com­piled by the Washington Death Penalty Assistance Center, revealed that death notices have nev­er been filed in a case with a white defen­dant and a black vic­tim, while such notices have been filed in 42% of mur­der cas­es with a black defen­dant and a white vic­tim. Of the 10 indi­vid­u­als cur­rent­ly on death row in Washington, nine cas­es involved a white vic­tim and none involved a black vic­tim. In addi­tion, every juror that con­vict­ed and sen­tenced the black defen­dants was white. (Washington Death Penalty Assistance Center, May 2003) See Race.

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