Death Penalty

‘West Memphis 3’ Win Release from Prison by Taking Alford Plea in 1993 Murder of 3 Boys

Three men convicted in a controversial Arkansas child-murder case were released from prison today after taking Alford pleas during a court hearing in Jonesboro. Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were sentenced to 18 years in prison, with credit for time served, in the 1993 slayings of Steven…

Aug 19, 2011 7:08 PM CDT

Loughner Lawyers Apparently Trying to Show Mental Illness Runs in the Family

Lawyers for the man accused of killing a federal judge in an Arizona shooting spree are apparently trying to show that mental illness runs in the suspect’s family. Subpoenas indicate that lawyers for Jared Lee Loughner are seeking information about his relatives and ancestors in Illinois, the New York Times…

Aug 17, 2011 3:45 PM CDT

Convicted Serial Killer Anthony Sowell Is Sentenced to Death

Convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell received a death sentence today in an Ohio courtroom. Judge Dick Ambrose accepted jurors’ recommendation for the death penalty, according to CNN, the Associated Press and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Sowell was convicted last month for killing 11 women and trying to kill three others.…

Aug 12, 2011 3:56 PM CDT

US Supreme Court Refuses to Stay Videotaped Execution, Now Set for Tonight

A camera will record the execution of a Georgia inmate tonight due to a request by a death-row lawyer hoping it will provide evidence that a sedative used in animal euthanasia doesn’t work on humans. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the execution of Andrew DeYoung, convicted…

Jul 21, 2011 11:37 AM CDT

Alabama Judges Overriding Jury Sentences in Murder Cases Rarely Opt for Leniency

Giving judges the power to override the sentencing decisions of capital juries could be an important check on overzealous decisions. But in Alabama, judges overriding juries deciding capital cases overwhelmingly favor the death penalty, the New York Times reports. A new report by the Equal Justice Initiative has found that,…

Jul 12, 2011 2:33 PM CDT

Defense Lawyer Seeks Removal of Courtroom Sign About Seeking the Truth

A lawyer for a defendant in a triple murder prosecution is asking a judge to take down a sign hanging in every Miami-Dade courtroom. The sign reads: “We who labor here seek only the truth.” Lawyer Louis Jepeway Jr. argues the sign invites jurors to speculate when they sense a…

Jul 11, 2011 11:48 AM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Bloggers Sound off on Casey Anthony Trial, Verdict, ‘Caylee’s Law’ Proposal

Many legal bloggers took time this week to post on the wind-up, verdict and aftermath of Casey Anthony’s murder trial. Many expressed a degree of satisfaction that the tone of the extensive media coverage of the case didn’t have an impact on the jurors’ decision to acquit the 25-year-old mother…

Jul 8, 2011 1:30 PM CDT

Make That Another 4 Days of Jail Time for Casey Anthony, Following Child-Murder Acquittal

Officials have recalculated the amount of time Casey Anthony must serve in jail, after being convicted of four counts of providing false information in the investigation into her missing 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Despite credit for time served awaiting trial and good behavior, she must put in another four days beyond…

Jul 8, 2011 11:33 AM CDT

Texas Executes Mexican National Despite White House Concerns About Foreign Treaty Violations

Humberto Leal Garcia was executed today in Texas for the 1994 murder and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, despite White House concerns about violations of international law and damage to American interests. Similar concerns were also cited in a U.S. Supreme Court petition for a stay last week, which…

Jul 8, 2011 12:51 AM CDT

Former Casey Anthony Lawyer Says She Was Attacked Twice During the Case

A Chicago lawyer says her defense of death-penalty defendants has brought hate mail, but she was physically attacked because of her work in just one case—the Casey Anthony trial. DePaul University law professor Andrea Lyon resigned from the Anthony case about a year ago, saying she couldn’t continue because the…

Jul 6, 2011 5:58 PM CDT

Fort Hood Shooting Suspect, Maj. Nidal Hasan, to Face Court Martial, Possible Death Penalty

The suspect in the November 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood will be tried in a general court martial and could face the death penalty if convicted. This means that Major Nidal Hasan, 40, an Army psychiatrist, likely will not be able to make a plea bargain before trial concerning…

Jul 6, 2011 4:48 PM CDT

Little-Known Defense Lawyer Stuns Observers with Big Win for Casey Anthony in His First Capital Case

Denied entry to the bar for years because of his handling of his personal finances and criticized by observers for taking a risky trial strategy in his first death-penalty defense, a little-known Florida lawyer has pulled off a stunning victory. As Jose Baez stood beside his 25-year-old client today, Casey…

Jul 5, 2011 11:15 PM CDT

Casey Anthony Guilty of Providing False Info, Acquitted of First-Degree Murder and Manslaughter

After deliberating for 10 hours, a Florida jury has reached a verdict in the first-degree murder case of Casey Anthony, who was accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2008. She was acquitted of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse, but found guilty of multiple counts of…

Jul 5, 2011 6:13 PM CDT

July 14, 1921: Sacco and Vanzetti Convicted

The trial of Italian anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, charged with the robbery and murder of a paymaster and his guard in April 1920, initially drew little attention. As one wag put it: “There’s no story in it … just a couple of Wops in a jam.” But in…

Jul 1, 2011 5:10 AM CDT

Two Lawyers Awarded $100K Each for Fighting Intolerance

Two lawyers and three civil rights groups will be awarded $100,000 each for their efforts to fight intolerance. The lawyers are Barbara Arnwine, the executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Morris Dees, a founder and chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center.…

Jun 29, 2011 1:51 PM CDT