In a new study in Harris County (Houston), Texas, crim­i­nol­o­gist Scott Phillips found sig­nif­i­cant racial and gen­der dis­par­i­ties in the appli­ca­tion of the death penal­ty under for­mer District Attorney Charles Rosenthal. Prof. Phillips of the University of Denver exam­ined homi­cides from 2001 to 2008 and found that death sen­tences were imposed on behalf of white vic­tims at 2.5 times the rate one would expect if the sys­tem were race neu­tral. Furthermore, death sen­tences were imposed on behalf of white-female vic­tims at 5 times the rate one would expect if the sys­tem were blind to race and gen­der. Phillips not­ed that these dis­par­i­ties were par­tic­u­lar­ly trou­bling because Rosenthal was forced from office in a scan­dal involv­ing racial impro­pri­eties in the work­place. In a pre­vi­ous study, Prof. Phillips also found racial dis­par­i­ties in the appli­ca­tion of the death penal­ty under the pre­vi­ous Harris County D.A., Johnny Holmes, dur­ing the lat­ter part of his term (1992 – 99).

(S. Phillips, ​“Continued Racial Disparities in the Capital of Capital Punishment: The Rosenthal Era,” 50 Houston Law Review 131 (2012; DPIC post­ed February 1, 2013). See Race. Listen to DPIC’s pod­cast on Race. Read more Studies.

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