US v. Ritter: Ritter would return to his rural, South Carolina hometown during the summers, when he engaged in a sexual relationship with a trans woman, Dime. While Dime was open about their relationship, Rigger tried to keep it a secret. Dime was killed, found in a car along the side of a rural road. She had earlier been pulled over for speeding and Ritter was in the passenger’s seat. Sometime later, Ritter appeared at his uncle’s house nearby asking for a ride. He also asked friends to help dispose of a gun and burn his clothes. He was eventually charged with killing Dime because of her gender identity and related charges. He was convicted at trial and sentenced to life in prison.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Ritter’s convictions. Ritter argued that he should receive a new trial due to bias of a juror – a trans woman who talked to the media after the trial, but who stated that her identity didn’t have any impact on her decision and she “followed the evidence of the law and the judge’s instructions.” The court found no “manifest error” in the district court’s conclusion that the juror did not violate her oath of impartiality. Ritter also argued that he should have gotten a mistrial after a Government witness testified that someone else had heard that Ritter killed Dime. The court held that the district court’s curative instruction, coupled with the witness’ impeachment on that statement (including by the Government) cured any potential prejudice. Finally, the court held there was sufficient evidence to support Ritter’s conviction for killing Dime, concluding that Ritter’s desire to hide their relationship was due to Dime’s trans identity and therefore her “gender identity.”
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