A last-ditch effort to save the life of Marcellus Williams, who faces execution Tuesday night in Missouri, began Monday morning at the Missouri Supreme Court.
A lawyer for the office that obtained the original death sentence 21 years ago argued that Mr. Williams’ conviction was tainted by violations of his rights during the trial.
He focused on what he said was an admission by the original prosecutor at a hearing last month that he had struck a potential juror at least in part because he was black, saying the juror and Mr. Williams “looked like brothers.”
“When he said that, the courtroom had a big gasp,” attorney Matthew A. Jacober told the justices.
But Michael J. Spillane, a lawyer for the attorney general’s office, said the prosecutor said he “absolutely” did not challenge the jury based on race.
The two sides also argued over whether the contamination of the murder weapon constituted prosecutorial misconduct.
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