Judge: Death row inmate can pursue disability claims
2 years, 6 months ago

Judge: Death row inmate can pursue disability claims

Associated Press  

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee death row inmate convicted of a 1994 slaying can pursue arguments that he is intellectually disabled and should not be executed under state law, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris issued an order Tuesday granting a stay in federal court proceedings for Tyrone Chalmers, who was convicted in 1997 of robbing a man of $3 and killing him in Shelby County. Executions of the intellectually disabled were ruled unconstitutional in 2002, when the U.S. Supreme Court found they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Earlier this month, Tennessee death row inmate Byron Black appealed a trial court’s dismissal of his request to be declared intellectually disabled.

Court Tennessee Lee Court Documents Chalmers Judge Death Death Row Inmate  convicted  row  tennessee  disability  inmate  judge  death  chalmers  intellectually  pursue  state  order  disabled  lee  court  claims

History of this topic

Texas man who claimed intellectual disability is executed for 1997 killing of female jogger
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Texas man who claimed intellectual disability is executed for 1997 killing of female jogger

Associated Press  

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas man who claimed an intellectual disability in a late attempt at a reprieve was executed Wednesday evening for the killing of a woman who was jogging near her Houston home more than 27 years ago. Hours before the scheduled execution time, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a defense request to intervene after lower courts had …

Clemency rejected for man scheduled to be 1st person executed in Georgia in more than 4 years
9 months ago

Clemency rejected for man scheduled to be 1st person executed in Georgia in more than 4 years

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s parole board has rejected clemency for a condemned man set to die Wednesday night, clearing the way for the state’s first execution in more than four years. After a hearing held behind closed doors, the Georgia Parole Board denied Pye’s request for clemency, the agency announced late Tuesday. Pye’s lawyers called the man’s trial “a shocking relic …

Former death row inmate in Mississippi to be resentenced to life with possibility of parole
1 year, 4 months ago

Former death row inmate in Mississippi to be resentenced to life with possibility of parole

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A former death row inmate …

Appeals Court weighs death row inmate’s disability claims
2 years, 1 month ago

Appeals Court weighs death row inmate’s disability claims

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Attorneys for Tennessee death row inmate Byron Black told a state appeals court on Tuesday that he should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled. However, the defendant cannot file a new disability claim “if the issue of whether the defendant has an intellectual disability has been previously adjudicated on the merits.” Senior Assistant Attorney General …

Tennessee DA seeks death sentence commutation, AG against
2 years, 1 month ago

Tennessee DA seeks death sentence commutation, AG against

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s conservative attorney general and Nashville’s liberal district attorney are at odds over whether a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and consequently should not be executed. A defendant cannot file a new disability claim “if the issue of whether the defendant has an intellectual disability has been previously adjudicated on the merits.” Nonetheless, Black filed a …

Tennessee inmate seeks execution halt over DNA evidence
2 years, 8 months ago

Tennessee inmate seeks execution halt over DNA evidence

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee death row inmate asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to vacate his execution date so that an appeals court could review new evidence in his case. Earlier this month, Smith asked the Davidson County Criminal Court to reopen his case after a new type of DNA analysis found the DNA of an unknown person …

Judge won’t halt execution over intellectual disability
2 years, 8 months ago

Judge won’t halt execution over intellectual disability

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A judge on Tuesday dismissed a motion to declare a Tennessee death row inmate intellectually disabled, a move that would have prohibited his upcoming execution. The 45-page decision comes despite agreement between Nashville’s district attorney and Black’s lawyers that he is intellectually disabled and should not be put to death. Black’s attorneys had argued the 65-year-old should …

DA: Intellectual disability should prevent inmate execution
2 years, 9 months ago

DA: Intellectual disability should prevent inmate execution

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville’s lead prosecutor says he agrees with defense attorneys that a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and should not face execution. The district attorney’s statements came in a filing responding to a motion by Black’s attorneys, who are asking a judge to determine that the inmate has an intellectual disability that prohibits his execution. The district …

Mississippi orders competency hearing on execution request
2 years, 10 months ago

Mississippi orders competency hearing on execution request

Associated Press  

— The Mississippi Supreme Court is ordering a trial court judge to determine if a Mississippi death row inmate truly wants to request an execution date and if the inmate is mentally competent to waive his appeals in the case. The state’s high court on Friday ordered that Blayde Nathaniel Grayson, 46, be taken to George County Circuit Court and …

Tennessee judge vacates 2 death sentences for inmate
3 years, 1 month ago

Tennessee judge vacates 2 death sentences for inmate

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I told him it was alright, 'I got you.’” Shelby County Criminal …

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim
3 years, 1 month ago

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A judge on Tuesday resentenced a Tennessee death row inmate to life in prison for the second time in two years, after finding the man’s trial was marred by racism during jury selection. The 2019 resentencing came after Abdur’Rahman, who is Black, petitioned to reopen his case, presenting evidence that prosecutors at his trial treated Black potential …

Ernest Johnson: Missouri executes man after US Supreme Court denies request for a delay
3 years, 2 months ago

Ernest Johnson: Missouri executes man after US Supreme Court denies request for a delay

CNN  

Washington CNN — Missouri executed death row inmate Ernest Johnson on Tuesday after the US Supreme Court rejected a petition earlier in the day that had sought to delay it, citing an intellectual disability. But the Supreme Court’s denial mirrored the Missouri Supreme Court’s May opinion declining to stop his execution. Johnson’s claim that he is not competent to be …

Tennessee death row inmate makes rare court appearance
3 years, 5 months ago

Tennessee death row inmate makes rare court appearance

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Tennessee death row inmate made a rare …

Expert to study mental disabilty claim of death row inmate
3 years, 6 months ago

Expert to study mental disabilty claim of death row inmate

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An expert hired by a state prosecutors' office …

Bill passes to stop executions of intellectually disabled
3 years, 7 months ago

Bill passes to stop executions of intellectually disabled

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers on Monday passed legislation designed to prevent death row inmates with an intellectual disability from being executed. However, Tennessee’s Supreme Court later determined there was no procedure for death row inmates to reopen their cases to explore intellectual disability claims and encouraged state lawmakers to address the issue. Kelley Henry, Payne’s lead public defender, said …

Tennessee inmate’s execution put on hold due to COVID-19
4 years ago

Tennessee inmate’s execution put on hold due to COVID-19

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday indefinitely postponed the execution of death row inmate Byron Black. In a brief order issued on Thursday, the court wrote that Black’s execution is stayed pending a further order by the court “because of the multiple issues caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.” Black was convicted by a Nashville court of …

Tennessee governor gives death row inmate temporary reprieve
4 years, 1 month ago

Tennessee governor gives death row inmate temporary reprieve

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Lee granted one in July to Harold Nichols, and the Tennessee Supreme Court issued two earlier reprieves to Oscar Smith and Byron Black. Payne’s attorneys have also said he should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled, and the U.S. Supreme Court has said that executing those with intellectual disabilities violates the U.S. Constitution. …

New bill aims to stop execution of intellectually disabled
4 years, 1 month ago

New bill aims to stop execution of intellectually disabled

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The first bill to be prefiled for the upcoming legislative session in Tennessee seeks to give people with an intellectual disability who have been sentenced to death a chance to prove their disability and that they should not be executed. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 ruled that executing a person with an intellectual disability violates the …

Tennessee death row inmate claims intellectual disability
4 years, 3 months ago

Tennessee death row inmate claims intellectual disability

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee death row inmate is asking a federal judge to postpone his December execution, saying that he is intellectually disabled. In his petition to the federal court in Nashville, Payne asks the judge to postpone his execution until after Tennessee’s law is amended and a court examines his intellectual disability claim. The Monday filing claims the …

Discover Related