United States v. Bass
United States Supreme Court
536 U.S. 862 (2002)
Facts
John Bass (defendant) was charged with two counts of murder. The government filed notice of its intent to seek the death penalty. In response, Bass alleged that the government sought the death penalty because he was Black. Bass moved to dismiss the notice and for discovery of information relating to the government’s death-penalty practices. The district court granted Bass’s discovery motion. After the government said it would not comply, the district court dismissed the death-penalty notice. The government appealed, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the lower court’s decision. The government appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
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