Cynthia March 8th, 2010
The Supreme Court is turning down Texas’ attempt to get a death sentence re-imposed on a convicted killer, Eric Moore, who lower courts have found is mentally impaired.
The justices rejected the state’s appeal on Monday in Moore’s case. Moore is one of four men convicted of the December 1990 murder of Helen Ayers, 54, during a robbery at her home north of Dallas.
The high court ruled in 2002 that mentally retarded defendants may not be executed. The state disputes that Moore is mentally retarded and also says federal courts should have deferred to state judges who ruled that he could be executed.
Moore and three accomplices went to the Ayers’ home and complained of having car trouble. They were all invited inside the home by Ayers’ husband Robert, 53.
The men pulled guns and the couple was forced into their bedroom, where they were both shot twice. Mrs. Ayers, who was shot in the head and leg, died. Her husband was shot twice in the back, but survived. The men robbed the couple of $10 and some inexpensive jewelry.
The case is Thaler v. Moore, 09-627
Popularity: 9% [?]
Cynthia March 5th, 2010
The Nevada Supreme Court in Carson City, upheld death penalties in two separate cases. On Thursday, Justices unanimously upheld the conviction of James R. Walker and affirmed the death sentence of Tamir Hamilton.
Walker was convicted of killing a Las Vegas woman, Christine Anziano, 33, in August 2003. Justices were split 4-3 over whether he deserved a new penalty hearing. Besides first-degree murder, Walker also was convicted of five other counts for crimes committed against two other people within 24 hours of Anziano’s death, including slitting one man’s throat.
Hamilton, was convicted of the 2006 rape and killing of 16-year-old Holly Quick. Quick’s mother found her body when she went to awaken her for school.
Both Walker and Hamilton, who are black, argued the trial courts erred by denying their objections to the prosecution’s use of peremptory challenges against blacks in their jury pools.
Walker, in his appeal, also argued the trial judge erroneously limited his attorney’s questioning of potential jurors, that he should have been tried separately on the three incidents, and that statements by the prosecutor were improper.
Hamilton argued he was improperly denied from pursing an insanity defense when the court wouldn’t allow his expert witness to testify about out-of-court comments Hamilton had made, and that executing him would violate his Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment because he is a schizophrenic.
Justices upheld his conviction and sentence 6-1. In a dissent, Cherry said the prosecutor’s reasons for excusing the only two black potential jurors were “pretexts for racial discrimination,” and therefore Hamilton deserved a new trial.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Cynthia March 3rd, 2010
The Nevada Supreme Court reversed the conviction of the man who shot a Las Vegas teen. The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday overturned the murder conviction of Donald Schuster.
Schuster was convicted in 2006 for the death of 16-year-old Jon Michael Ginoulias. After a heated argument with Ginoulias and Nick Erichett, the teen’s friend, Schuster went to his house and came out with a handgun and started shooting.
Schuster claims he fired his gun in self defense and that he never intended to kill Ginoulias or injure Erichetto.
Schuster was sentenced to life in prison. His attorney appealed the conviction, claiming the presiding judge, Donald Mosley, refused to instruct the jury on the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. The Nevada Supreme Court last week agreed and overturned the jury’s conviction.
Schuster is awaiting a new trial.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Cynthia February 25th, 2010
A British motivational speaker, Michael Victor Lane, is accused of killing a Las Vegas woman, Ginger Candela, in December, 2009.
After murdering Candela, Lane stuffed her severed body in a trash barrel, and later used her vehicle to hit a transsexual man he met for sex.
The Clark County district attorney is seeking the death penalty for Lane. In addition, prosecuters want to combine murder and attempted murder with a vehicle cases against 37-year-old Lane. Lane is currently being held without bail.
Popularity: 34% [?]
admin February 25th, 2010
Fox 5 Vegas reported that a man was injured as he was fleeing the scene of a Las Vegas car accident.
The driver of a vehicle was drunk and struck another car. He got out of his vehicle, ran across the street, and was hit by an oncoming truck.
The man suffered some life-threatening injuries after the Las Vegas auto accident, and he was taken to a local hospital to be treated.
Authorities are still investigating the Nevada car accident and the events following it.
Read more
The Las Vegas car accident lawyers at Richard Harris Law Firm can help if you were injured in a Nevada auto accident.
Popularity: 19% [?]
