(CLEVELAND) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the following statement on today's ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate the conviction of Quisi Bryan, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Cleveland Police Officer Wayne Leon in 2000:
"Today's decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirms my belief that Mr. Bryan received a fair trial and that his constitutional rights were not violated. I am pleased that my office was able to help make sure this killer continues to be held responsible for this horrific crime."
Today's ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio's 2015 ruling that granted Bryan a new trial due to the claim that trial prosecutors violated Batson v. Kentucky by using a peremptory strike to remove a potential African American juror. Attorneys with Attorney General DeWine's Criminal Justice Section, who handled the appeal, argued that the trial prosecutors provided several racially neutral reasons for dismissing the potential juror and that Bryan failed to present evidence that the State had a discriminatory intent.
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