A study touted as proof of racial bias in death penalty cases in Miller and Lafayette Counties is flawed, says Brent Haltom, chief prosecutor for Arkansas’ 8th Judicial District South.

“It’s a bogus study,” Haltom said. “These researchers used data that was fed to them from the Federal Public Defenders Office. They didn’t talk to anyone down here about the cases. You can’t determine if a case warrants the death penalty until you’ve talked to the police and the witnesses.”

The study was commissioned by attorneys with the Federal Public Defender’s Commission in Little Roc...

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