Kevin Johnson Jr. is scheduled to be executed today for the 2005 killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.

A special prosecutor is urging the court to halt the execution after an extensive investigation that concluded the state’s handling of death-eligible prosecutions was rife with pervasive racial bias. Sarah Fenske, executive director of the River City Journalism Fund, spoke to KCUR's Brian Ellison about Johnson's case and how the racial composition of a jury can affect outcomes for defendants.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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