Black offenders who kill white victims are more likely to receive the death penalty than white offenders who kill black victims. It is up to the prosecutor whether or not the death penalty is sought against an offender. This means there is no set standard on who receives the death penalty. These leaves a huge possibility for discrimination. For example, studies in South Carolina show that if the victim is white and the offender is black, then the black offender is eight times more likely to receive a death sentence as that same offender would face is the victim were black (Allen, H. Ed 14). In Kentucky, blacks who killed whites, as compared to other homicide offenders, had a more than average chance of being charged with a death eligible crime by the prosecutor and sentenced to die by the jury (Allen, H. Ed 14).
