News Update 10.16.07
North Carolina
In Cabarrus County, the capital trial of Lisa Greene is set to begin today. She stands accused of killing her children by setting the family home on fire. More information here.
Elsewhere
The execution of William Castillo has been stayed in Nevada. Castillo had been served his final meal, and was 90 minutes from execution when the court’s order came down. Meanwhile, the execution of Christopher Scott Emmett will go forward in Virginia tonight unless the governor steps in.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Smith v. Arizona, which asked whether spending a prolonged period of time on death row is, in and of itself, cruel and unusual punishment. Joe Clarence Smith has spent 30 years waiting to die, about three times the average stay on death row. Justice Breyer dissented. Read more about “death row syndrome” here and here. (c/o SCOTUSblog [scroll down a bit] and SLAP)
TCASK, StandDown and MVFHR have info on the first meeting of the Tennessee Death Penalty Study Commission. The group, comprised of prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims’ advocates, and lawmakers, is the first of its kind in any Southern state.
