The State Supreme Court has ordered a prison inmate once facing execution to be set free unless the state wants to hold a new murder trial. Inmate Reginald Griffin originally had been sentenced to death for stabbing another inmate to death at the Moberly prison in 19-83. He was sentenced to life in prison when a new trial was held.

But the court has ruled 4-3 that the prosecutor withheld evidence that could have shown his innocence.

The state supreme court says the stated failed todisclose evidence that prison guards caught another inmate with a weapon near the murder scene. The court says five substantial developments since Griffin’s trial that it says require his release unless the prosecutor decides within 60 days to re-try him.

Source: Missourinet

The state supreme court has refused to lift the death sentences of two Kansas City men who tried to avoid a death sentence by avoiding a jury trial.

Roderick Nunley and Michael Anthony Taylor kidnapped, raped, and murdered a teenage girl. The court says the two pleaded guilty and waived jury sentencing specifically to avoid a jury sentencing them to death. A judge imposed the sentence, which Nunley and Taylor say is unconstitutional. But the court says they waived their right sto jury sentencing, meaning their rights were not violated when the judge sentenced them to death without a jury recommendation. [The Missourinet]

A state prisoner once under a death penalty wants the state supreme court to let him out of prison. Inmate Reginald Griffin’s death sentence had been overturned, a new jury sentenced him to life in prison. Griffin now says the prosecution withheld evidence that could have proven his innocence, and claims that circumstance should invalidate his new sentence. The state says there is no proof that the state failed to disclose any information. The state supreme court will hear his case tomorrow (May 4).

The state supreme court says a condemned murderer should get a new sentencing hearing to determine whether he should be executed. The unanimous court decision upholds the conviction of Gregory Bowman for a 1977 murder. All seven judges also agree that the death sentence was given on the basis of in-valid sentencing factors. One judge, Michael Wolff, says he would not order a new sentencing hearing because the evidence is not strong enough to support a death sentence. Wolff says he would resentence Bowman to life without patrol. Briefs and audio of oral arguments »

Via Missourinet

The Missouri Supreme Court has turned down –for the fifthy time– an appeal by Ernest Lee Johnson, the Columbia man convicted of murdering three Casey’s General Store employees in 1994.

In December, Johnson’s defense argued that his previous counsel was ineffective because an unqualified expert witness was called to testify about Johnson’s alleged mental retardation.

His attorney, public defender Bill Swift, said he will file a motion for rehearing within the next 15 days.

Full story at ColumbiaTribune.com