Where are they now

[Eric M. Freedman]

Kevin Stanford, the capital defendant who was unsuccessful in Stanford v. Kentucky, 492 U.S. 361 (1989) and In re Stanford, 123 S.Ct. 472 (2002) on a claim that the Constitution bars the execution of people who were 17 at the time of their crimes, had his sentence commuted yesterday by the governor.  If the governor was thereby seeking to soften the impact of his simultaneous pardon of some of his political associates, it didn't work, at least in the New York Times, which only printed the latter portion of the story. -E.   Posted on Wed, Jun. 18, 2003 http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/6117528.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp      Patton says he plans to commute Stanford death sentence Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. - Gov. Paul Patton said Wednesday he plans to commute the death sentence of a man convicted of a murder he committed at age 17.    Patton said he would not sign a death warrant for Kevin Stanford because of Stanford's age at the time of the crime.   "That is a case, in my opinion, where the justice system perpetuated an injustice," Patton said. "As you will note, I have not set an execution date for Mr. Stanford and he is certainly one of the people that I  will correct an injustice for."    Patton revealed his plans for Stanford during an afternoon news conference in which he pardoned his chief of staff Andrew "Skipper" Martin and three others accused of breaking campaign finance laws in 1995.    Stanford, now 39, was convicted of murdering Baerbel Poore. After Stanford robbed and raped Poore, he shot her in the face and then in the side of her head. Poore, 20, was a single parent working nights at a Louisville gas station to support an 11-month-old daughter.  The January 1981 robbery netted $143 in cash, 300 cartons of cigarettes and two gallons of gasoline.    "I don't know what action that I will take on that case," Patton said. "But I will settle that case once and for all before I leave office."    The U.S. Supreme Court in October refused to consider banning executions of people like Stanford who committed the crimes as a juvenile. � 2003 AP Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.                                          http://www.kentucky.com