Racial Gaps in Self-Defense Sentencing Spotlighted by High-Profile Cases

Studies from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, The Marshall Project, and the Office of Justice Programs show Black defendants tend to face harsher self-defense sentences than non-Black counterparts. The piece centers on a Black Texas teen, Karmelo Anthony, given 35 years for murder, and juxtaposes this with white defendants in high-profile cases who were acquitted or spared heavier penalties, such as Kyle Rittenhouse, George Zimmerman, and Daniel Penny, highlighting a broader, ongoing racial disparity in the U.S. justice system.