Clemency rejected for man scheduled to be 1st person executed in Georgia in more than 4 years
1 year 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 of the past” and cited racism and severe shortcomings in the Spalding County public defender system of the 1990s. The failures of the local justice system had the effect of “turning accused defendants into convicted felons with all the efficiency of Henry Ford’s assembly line,” Pye’s lawyers wrote in their clemency application.

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History of this topic

Georgia lawmakers consider easing one of the nation’s toughest death penalty laws
4 weeks ago

Georgia lawmakers consider easing one of the nation’s toughest death penalty laws

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Last year, Georgia executed Willie James Pye, whose IQ was low enough to indicate that he was intellectually disabled, according to his lawyers. That rattled Glennville Republican state Rep. Bill Werkheiser, who months earlier had introduced legislation to make it easier for someone facing the death penalty to prove they are intellectually disabled and thus ineligible to receive …

‘He is innocent': Juror urges clemency for Alabama man facing execution
1 month, 1 week ago

‘He is innocent': Juror urges clemency for Alabama man facing execution

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Supreme Court has cleared the way for the execution of a man whose innocence claim is supported by a juror from his trial. Kacey Keeton, a lawyer for Myers, said his case is “rife with examples of failure.” She said there is no physical evidence linking him to the crime. I believe, without reservation, that …

Oklahoma executes a man for a 1992 killing despite board recommending his life be spared
6 months, 1 week ago

Oklahoma executes a man for a 1992 killing despite board recommending his life be spared

Associated Press  

McALESTER, Okla. — Oklahoma executed a man Thursday for his role in the 1992 fatal shooting of a convenience store owner after the governor again rejected a recommendation from the state’s parole board to spare a death row inmate’s life. Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and was declared dead at 10:17 a.m. “A …

South Carolina death row inmate asks governor for clemency
6 months, 2 weeks ago

South Carolina death row inmate asks governor for clemency

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. While awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in her …

Man gets 4 death sentences for kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Georgia girl
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Man gets 4 death sentences for kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Georgia girl

Associated Press  

PHENIX CITY, Ala. — A man who kidnapped, raped and killed a 5-year-old Georgia girl has been given four death sentences for the crime. Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson handed down the sentence Monday against Jeremy Williams who murdered, raped and brutalized Kamarie Holland in 2021, news outlets reported. “If there’s ever been somebody that’s deserving of the …

Georgia death row inmate to be executed after last-ditch appeal
1 year ago

Georgia death row inmate to be executed after last-ditch appeal

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Willie James Pye, 59, has been on death …

Man put to death for 1993 killing of ex-girlfriend, Georgia’s first execution in years
1 year ago

Man put to death for 1993 killing of ex-girlfriend, Georgia’s first execution in years

Associated Press  

JACKSON, Ga. — A Georgia man convicted of the killing of his former girlfriend three decades ago was put to death Wednesday evening in the state’s first execution in more than four years. Pye’s lawyers filed late appeals urging the U.S. Supreme Court to step in, but the justices unanimously rejected to stop the execution. Pye’s lawyers had argued in …

Georgia executes death row inmate Willie Pye for the 1993 murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough
1 year ago

Georgia executes death row inmate Willie Pye for the 1993 murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough

CNN  

CNN — The state of Georgia on Wednesday executed death row inmate Willie Pye, who was convicted and sentenced to die for the 1993 murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Pye’s attorneys argued that by excluding him from the agreement, the state placed him in a “disfavored class of death row prisoners,” allegedly violating the equal protection and due process clauses …

In Georgia’s first execution in years, man who killed ex-girlfriend is put to death
1 year ago

In Georgia’s first execution in years, man who killed ex-girlfriend is put to death

LA Times  

Willie James Pye was executed in Georgia on Wednesday night after a late appeal failed to persuade the Supreme Court to intervene. A Georgia man convicted of the killing of his former girlfriend three decades ago was put to death Wednesday evening in the state’s first execution in more than four years. Pye’s lawyers filed late appeals urging the U.S. …

Man seeks clemency to avoid what could be Georgia’s first execution in more than 4 years
1 year ago

Man seeks clemency to avoid what could be Georgia’s first execution in more than 4 years

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A Georgia man should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled and feels remorse for killing his former girlfriend three decades ago, his lawyers wrote in seeking clemency for him. “Had defense counsel not abdicated his role, the jurors would have learned that Mr. Pye is intellectually disabled and has an IQ of 68,” Pye’s public defenders …

Activists Petition To Halt Execution Of Georgia Man Convicted Of Murder Nearly 30 Years Ago
1 year ago

Activists Petition To Halt Execution Of Georgia Man Convicted Of Murder Nearly 30 Years Ago

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Capital punishment opponents launched a petition on Tuesday to halt the execution of a Black, disabled Georgia man who was convicted of murder nearly 30 years ago. Georgians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an organization working to end capital punishment, launched a petition this week to stop Pye’s execution, citing his intellectual disability. “Had Willie Pye …

Georgia sets execution date for man who killed ex-girlfriend 30 years ago
1 year, 1 month ago

Georgia sets execution date for man who killed ex-girlfriend 30 years ago

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 man who killed his …

Supreme Court temporarily halts impending Richard Glossip execution amid potential appeal
1 year, 10 months ago

Supreme Court temporarily halts impending Richard Glossip execution amid potential appeal

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to temporarily stay …

Oklahoma attorney general to recommend clemency for Glossip
1 year, 11 months ago

Oklahoma attorney general to recommend clemency for Glossip

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s new Attorney General Gentner Drummond plans to ask the state’s Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday to recommend sparing the life of death row inmate Richard Glossip, a highly unusual move for the state’s top prosecutor’s office that typically urges the board to reject clemency. “I am not aware of an Oklahoma Attorney General ever supporting …

Georgia court: State must honor pledge to delay executions
2 years, 3 months ago

Georgia court: State must honor pledge to delay executions

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s Supreme Court says that a state pledge to not execute some inmates until certain conditions are met following the COVID-19 pandemic is a binding contract that the state can’t ignore. At issue is an April 14, 2021, email exchange between Senior Assistant Attorney General Sabrina Graham, who leads death penalty litigation for the state, and Anna Arceneaux, …

Appeals Court weighs death row inmate’s disability claims
2 years, 4 months 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 …

Oklahoma panel rejects clemency for man in baby’s killing
2 years, 6 months ago

Oklahoma panel rejects clemency for man in baby’s killing

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 Tuesday to deny clemency for a man sentenced to die for killing his 9-month-old daughter in 2002, moving him a step closer to his scheduled lethal injection next month. Attorneys for the state and members of the victim’s family told the board that Cole’s symptoms of mental illness are exaggerated …

Judge: Death row inmate can pursue disability claims
2 years, 9 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 …

Families of victims upset at delay in Georgia execution
2 years, 10 months ago

Families of victims upset at delay in Georgia execution

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 The families of two young …

Lawyers: Georgia man’s death sentence is unconstitutional
2 years, 10 months ago

Lawyers: Georgia man’s death sentence is unconstitutional

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Lawyers for a Georgia man whose execution was put on hold by a judge this week are arguing that he is ineligible for execution because he has cognitive impairments that cause him to function like a young child or someone with intellectual disability. Lawyers for Virgil Delano Presnell Jr. said in a filing with the Georgia Supreme Court …

Execution for Georgia man who killed girl temporarily stayed
2 years, 10 months ago

Execution for Georgia man who killed girl temporarily stayed

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge on Monday temporarily delayed the execution of a Georgia man who was scheduled to die Tuesday for killing an 8-year-old girl 46 years ago. The lawsuit filed on behalf of the Federal Defender Program, which represents Presnell, alleges the agreement said that, with one named exception, executions wouldn’t resume until six months after three conditions had …

Lawyer says Georgia man set for execution should be spared
2 years, 10 months ago

Lawyer says Georgia man set for execution should be spared

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The life of a Georgia man set to be executed Tuesday for killing an 8-year-old girl should be spared, his lawyer argues, explaining that her client has significant cognitive impairments that likely contributed to his crimes and has suffered horrific abuse in prison. Virgil Presnell is profoundly disabled,” his attorney Monet Brewerton-Palmer wrote in a clemency application that …

Lawyers seek to delay Georgia execution set for next week
2 years, 10 months ago

Lawyers seek to delay Georgia execution set for next week

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Lawyers for a Georgia man scheduled to be put to death next week for killing an 8-year-old girl 46 years ago are trying to delay the execution. The lawsuit says the agreement said that, with one named exception, executions wouldn’t resume until six months after three conditions had been met: the expiration of the state’s COVID-19 judicial emergency, …

Clemency bid denied for Arizona prisoner set for execution
2 years, 11 months ago

Clemency bid denied for Arizona prisoner set for execution

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Arizona’s clemency board has unanimously declined to recommend to Gov. The decision by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency on Thursday marks one of the last steps before Clarence Dixon’s execution in the 1978 killing of Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. Before his conviction in Bowdoin’s death, Dixon was serving life sentences for sexual assault and other …

Georgia sets execution for man convicted 45 years ago
2 years, 11 months ago

Georgia sets execution for man convicted 45 years ago

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A Georgia man convicted of killing an 8-year-old girl and raping a 10-year-old girl more than 45 years ago is scheduled to be executed next month, state officials said. Presnell staked out a Cobb County elementary school on May 3, 1976, and saw a 10-year-old girl walking home on a wooded trail. She described Presnell and his car …

Oklahoma board cites execution flaws, recommends clemency
3 years, 4 months ago

Oklahoma board cites execution flaws, recommends clemency

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted Wednesday to recommend clemency for a death row inmate after questioning the state’s execution methods. We’ve had individuals on the table suffering for 20 and 30 minutes,” said board member Larry Morris, who voted for the clemency recommendation. Stouffer was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to die for the shooting …

Oklahoma parole board rejects clemency for death row inmate
3 years, 5 months ago

Oklahoma parole board rejects clemency for death row inmate

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board narrowly rejected clemency Tuesday for a death row inmate convicted of killing a prison cafeteria worker in 1998, paving the way for the state’s first execution in more than six years. “We are asking the board today to come with open minds and open hearts to hear the whole story that should …

Oklahoma inmate seeks clemency ahead of execution: ‘The state created a broken man’
3 years, 5 months ago

Oklahoma inmate seeks clemency ahead of execution: ‘The state created a broken man’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ahead of a planned clemency hearing on Tuesday, …

Expert to study mental disabilty claim of death row inmate
3 years, 9 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 …

Georgia high court upholds man’s death sentence
3 years, 10 months ago

Georgia high court upholds man’s death sentence

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia’s highest court on Tuesday upheld a man’s death sentence for killing his ex-fiancée’s adult son, saying he failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is intellectually disabled. “Instead, we are called upon to apply the Georgia Constitution and the United States Constitution.” Brian Stull, a lawyer with the ACLU Capital Punishment project who represents Young, …

Georgia death row inmate becomes 1,500th person to be executed since US brought back death penalty
5 years, 9 months ago

Georgia death row inmate becomes 1,500th person to be executed since US brought back death penalty

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The United States has …

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