ROCKVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut death row inmates are taking a lawsuit to trial to get their sentences overturned, arguing that race and geographic bias played a part in their criminal prosecution.
The trial is to begin Wednesday at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers. The public can watch by video feed at Rockville Superior Court.
Seven of the 11 men on Connecticut's death row are plaintiffs in the case. They claim their penalty was decided in an arbitrary and discriminatory way based on their race and where they were prosecuted. Prosecutors deny the claim.
Six men on death row are black; four are white; one is Hispanic.
Connecticut state abolished the death penalty this year. The ban applies to future murder cases.
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