high court backs death inmate whose own lawyer cnn

Washington CNN — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in favor of a death row inmate in Texas whose own lawyers introduced evidence at trial that he was more likely to be dangerous in the future because he is black.

Full Answer

Will Supreme Court uphold death by lethal injection for unusual health conditions?

While the Supreme Court has broadly upheld death by lethal injection, the justices have broken down along ideological lines when considering specific challenges from inmates with unusual health conditions.

Can death row inmate with brain tumor be executed by firing squad?

(CNN) The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday against a Missouri death row inmate suffering from a brain tumor who sought to have his execution carried out by firing squad because he fears the state's lethal injection protocol would likely produce excruciating seizures.

Can death row inmates elect execution by electric chair in SC?

Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this month signed a bill into law that allows death row inmates to elect execution by electric chair or firing squad if lethal injection drugs are not available, according to the state Legislature's website.

Can a Texas death row inmate's pastor pray during an execution?

(CNN) The Supreme Court granted a request Wednesday from a Texas death row inmate who sought to block his execution because the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will not allow the inmate's pastor to "lay hands" on him and audibly pray during the execution. The execution had been scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

What did Johnson argue in Bucklew v. Precythe?

After that opinion, Johnson sought to amend his complaint, arguing that he should be able to request a firing squad.

Why did the Supreme Court rule in 2021?

(CNN) The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday against a Missouri death row inmate suffering from a brain tumor who sought to have his execution carried out by firing squad because he fears the state's lethal injection protocol would likely produce excruciating seizures.

What did Ernest Johnson suffer from?

Ernest Johnson suffers from epilepsy as a result of the tumor and his lawyers argued that his condition would be exacerbated if he were executed by pentobarbital, a class of drugs known to produce seizures.

Which states allow executions by firing squad?

Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this month signed a bill into law that allows death row inmates to elect execution by electric chair or firing squad if lethal injection drugs are not available, according to the state Legislature's website. South Carolina is now the fourth state to allow executions by firing squad, ...

Did Johnson wait too long to file a complaint?

A panel of judges on the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Johnson had waited too long to make his request, noting that he had filed "three complaints" in the district court and had "ample opportunity to allege any alternative method that he wished to pursue.". The court held that the Supreme Court had ruled that method-of-execution ...

Who was Burdine's lawyer?

Burdine's petition for a writ of habeas corpus and ordered a new trial, three jurors and the court clerk from the original trial testified that his lawyer, Joe Cannon, dozed repeatedly. Mr.

Why is a death row inmate entitled to a new trial?

The Supreme Court, acting in a case that has come to crystallize arguments over the adequacy of legal representation in death penalty cases, today let stand an appellate ruling that a Texas death row inmate is entitled to a new trial because his lawyer fell asleep repeatedly during his original trial. The justices said nothing in rejecting the ...

What is Burdine case number?

Burdine, No. 01-495, until after the decision in the Tennessee case. One option the justices had today, one the court often takes in similar circumstances, was to vacate the decision in the Texas case and tell the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to reconsider it in light of the ruling last week.

When did the Fifth Circuit overturn the habeas corpus?

He then turned to the federal courts. The Federal District Court in Houston granted his habeas corpus petition in 1999. A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit, which is based in New Orleans, then overturned that ruling in a 2-to-1 decision in 2000 that received widespread attention.

Who is the critic of the death penalty?

Amnesty International, a frequent critic of the Supreme Court's death penalty decisions, said: ''The Supreme Court has served justice today.''. In another development today bearing on the death penalty, three justices filed an opinion dissenting from stays of execution the court granted last month to two Texas death row inmates.

Who filed the delayed dissenting opinion?

Against that background, the delayed dissenting opinion filed today by Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Clarence Thomas, was not only unexpected but surprisingly sharp in tone.

Who were the two men who were mentally retarded?

Defense lawyers described both men, Curtis Moore and Brian E. Davis, as mentally retarded and successfully urged the court to postpone their scheduled executions until after a ruling expected later this month on whether the Constitution bars the execution of retarded people.