Black San Diegans charged with special circumstances at higher rates

In San Diego County, Black murder defendants are charged with a special circumstance at a higher rate than white murder defendants. Data show that the gap grew significantly wider when the current district attorney took office and is bigger than in nearby counties.New reporting from KPBS dives deep into the data and highlights how California's controversial special circumstance murder law has impacted one San Diego family.On Wednesday, KPBS reporter Katie Hyson joined Midday Edition to talk about the history of special circumstances that can lead to life without parole, what local data reveals and what advocates believe is meaningful reform.Guest: Katie Hyson, KPBS Racial Justice and Social Equity ReporterEDITOR’S NOTE: San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan is disputing this story. KPBS’s story relied on a data analysis from a researcher who attributed cases to DAs based on disposition date. The DA’s office provided an analysis that attributed cases to DAs based on filing date. It showed no racial disparity in making these special charges against Black and white defendants when looking only at multiple murder cases during DA Stephan’s tenure. KPBS has clarified the story to include more detail about the analysis and the data it used. Go to the story to learn more.