California court overturns murder convictions, cites racism

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California appeals court has overturned the convictions of three Black men over a double slaying, saying prosecutors dismissed a Black woman from the jury pool for racial reasons. The Bay Area News Group says the appeals court ruled Friday that the prosecutor in the Contra Costa County case inappropriately questioned the woman’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The ruling also said the prosecutor dismissed her for reasons that “were plainly tied to race.” The case involves three men who were convicted in 2016 of killing a couple in the San Francisco Bay Area. The district attorney’s office says it intends to retry them.