Pitchford v. Cain

Decided May 28, 2026. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 24-7351 · 608 U.S. ___ (2026)

In Pitchford’s direct appeal of a capital murder sentence, the Mississippi Supreme Court unreasonably applied the clearly established precedents of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79, to determine that Pitchford waived his opportunity to rebut the prosecutor’s asserted race-neutral reasons for the peremptory strikes of four black prospective jurors.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov) (opens primary source in a new tab)

Brett M. Kavanaugh’s profile · All opinions since October Term 2017 · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2026). Data last verified 2026-07-02. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).