May 9
TEXASnew death sentence
Joseph Colone Jr. sentenced to death
Joseph Colone Jr. has been sentenced to death in the 2010 double killings of
Mary Goodman and her 16-year-old daughter Briana at their South End Beaumont
home.
Both sides rested Monday in the sentencing phase of the capital murder case
against Colone, who last week was convicted of capital murder.
On Monday, Colone's family members testified as character witnesses in an
effort to spare him of the death penalty.
Jurors heard from Colone's teenage daughter, his aunt, and multiple deputies
from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
(source: KFDM news)
DELAWARE:
Delaware House votes on reinstating death penalty
House lawmakers are set to vote on a bill reinstating Delaware's death penalty.
Tuesday's scheduled vote comes amid a public outcry over the killing of a
correctional officer during a prison riot and hostage-taking in February, and
the fatal shooting of a state trooper 2 weeks ago.
Under the bill, jurors would have to find unanimously and beyond a reasonable
doubt that a defendant should be executed.
A majority of state Supreme Court justices declared Delaware's death penalty
law unconstitutional in August because it allowed judges too much discretion
and did not require that a jury find unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt
that a defendant deserves execution.
That ruling came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Florida's death
sentencing law, which was similar to the one in Delaware.
(source: Associated Press)
FLORIDA:
Ayala-Scott death penalty suit waiting for Florida Supreme Court ruling
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala has filed a reply to Gov. Rick
Scott's argument in their legal fight over death-penalty cases, and the 2 now
wait for a response from the Florida Supreme Court.
Ayala announced in March that she would not seek the death penalty against
anyone while she is in office, and Scott responded by reassigning 23
death-penalty cases from her office to that of Ocala-based State Attorney Brad
King. Ayala sued last month.
Ayala had asked the court to order Scott to provide his valid legal reasoning
for reassigning the cases. Scott's attorneys responded with counter-arguments,
and people with interest in the matter - lawmakers, activists and families of
homicide victims - filed their own legal briefs.
The filing Monday is the final step in the initial state of the process. Ayala
and Scott will now wait for the Florida Supreme Court???s next ruling in the
case.
(soruce: Orlando Sentinel)
*
State to seek death penalty against man charged in Jupiter triple homicide
State attorneys said during a Monday court hearing they will seek the death
penalty against a man arrested in connection with the February shooting deaths
of 3 people in Jupiter.
Christopher Vasata, 24, was arrested in March after the homicides occurred Feb.
5 on Mohawk Street.
Vasata faces 3 counts of 1st degree murder with a firearm, 1 count of attempted
1st-degree murder with a firearm and 1 count of a felon possession of a firearm
or ammunition.
Kelli J. Doherty, 20, of Tequesta, Brandi El-Salhy, 24, of Gainesville and Sean
P. Henry, 25, of Jupiter died in the shootings.
(source: WPTV news)
ALABAMAimpending execution
Alabama death row inmate Tommy Arthur writes to Gov. Kay Ivey: 'My life is in
your hands'
Alabama death row inmate Tommy Arthur, who is set to be executed later this
month, has sent a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey pleading for his life and DNA
testing on hair he claims was collected in his case.
"Please do not let me die for a crime I did not commit and the facts on these
pages point to (the) real killer," Arthur writes in a 4-page hand-written
letter. He states that "my life is in your hands" and asks her to consider his
claims about evidence in his case.
The letter was first sent by the 75-year-old inmate last week to AL.com, which
forwarded it to Ivey's press secretary.
"We just received the letter and it will be reviewed. The AG's (Alabama
Attorney General's) office will be given an opportunity to respond, and Gov.
Ivey will be thoroughly briefed on all the issues raised by Mr. Arthur and his
attorneys," according to a statement emailed to AL.com from Bryan Taylor,
Governor's Legal Counsel.
Arthur's execution is set for May 25 at the Holman Correctional Facility in
Atmore. It is the 8th time since 2001 that the state has set an execution for
Arthur for his conviction in the 1982 shooting death of Troy Wicker.
Last month, Ivey denied a request by Arthur's attorneys for DNA testing of a
wig purportedly used by Wicker's killer. Ivey, in her letter denying the
testing, stated that no genetic material had been found when the wig was tested
8 years ago.
Arthur, however, states that his attorneys did not include a request to test a
hair he claims is also among the evidence collected by
