A federal judge has ruled that a Cleveland man sentenced to death for killing a police officer 15 years ago may have a new trial because prosecutors improperly excluded an African-American woman from the jury. A jury convicted 44-year-old Quisi Bryan of aggravated murder and recommended he be sentenced to death in 2000 for the fatal shooting of Cleveland officer Wayne Leon at a gas station. Bryan didn't dispute during trial that he'd shot Leon. The judge's ruling says a prosecutor injected a racial component into what were otherwise race-neutral concerns that the potential juror expressed in a court questionnaire, then dismissed her. A statement from the Cuyahoga County prosecutor says he believes Bryan will be sentenced to death again in a new trial.
Judge Orders New Trial For Convicted Cop Killer
cleveland.com