Ham v. South Carolina

Petitioner was convicted in the South Carolina trial court of the possession of marihuana in violation of state law.1 He was sentenced to 18 months’ confinement, and on appeal his conviction was affirmed by a divided *525South Carolina Supreme Court. 256 S. C. 1, 180 S. E. 2d 628 (1971). We granted certiorari limited to the question of whether the trial judge’s refusal to examine jurors on voir dire as to possible prejudice against petitioner violated the latter’s federal constitutional rights. 404 U. S. 1057 (1972).

Petitioner is a young, bearded Negro who has lived most of his life in Florence…