Charles Rhines killed a man while in the middle of robbing a doughnut store in 1992. And for that he deserves to be punished.
But should that punishment be determined because Rhines is gay?
New evidence shows that at least one juror sentenced Rhines to death because he thought, as a gay man, he “shouldn’t be able to spend his life with men in prison.” One juror recalled another commenting that “we’d be sending him where he wants to go if we voted for [life without parole].” And a third juror confirmed that “there was lots of discussion of homosexuality. There was a lot of disgust. … There were lots of folks who were like, ‘Ew, I can’t believe that.’”
Yes, the 1993 South Dakota jury decided that Rhines should be executed, rather “just” than sentenced to life in prison … because they thought it would be fun for him, stuck behind bars with all those men! In prison!
Yeesh.
Will the Supreme Court see this particular sentencing for the injustice it is?
Do you want to know more?
- The Supreme Court must rule that juries can’t sentence a man to death because he’s gay.
- A Jury May Have Sentenced a Man to Death Because He’s Gay. Now, the Supreme Court Could Hear His Appeal. – The New York Times