Our nation has a history that betrays the values of equality. Racism has an ugly part in our history. And so the decision of the United States Supreme Court in a Georgia death penalty case is interesting.

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday granted relief to a condemned Georgia man whose capital case was marked by juror bias.

The juror in question reportedly told investigators after the trial that there were two kinds of black people in the world: “ni–ers and “regular black folks.” This, the justices concluded, raised questions about that juror’s service on the jury. The case now has been returned to the lower courts for review. Justice Thomas wrote a dissent on behalf of himself and two colleagues.

The New York Times has the story.