Monday, January 30, 2017

Rodricus Crawford: Louisiana; Bulletin: Freed from death row by Louisiana's highest court, he must wait until February 22 to learn whether prosecutors will retry him, Nexstar reports..."Publicity surrounding the case, which was spotlighted in a lengthy article in the New Yorker magazine and a subsequent article in the New York Times, drew public scrutiny not only to Crawford’s case, but to the large amount of prisoners on death row from Caddo Parish, most of whom were African American." Reporter Nancy Cook. January 30, 2017;


"Rodricus Crawford, who was freed in November after spending almost three years on death row, was in Caddo District Court today to set a date for arguments and hearings regarding a new trial.
In November, was released on $50,000 bond, after the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned his first degree murder conviction and subsequent death penalty and remanded his case back to Caddo District Court for a new trial. Crawford, who was convicted by a Caddo Parish Jury in November 2013 for the February 2012 death of his 12-month-old baby, was sentenced to the death penalty in February 2014, and was sent to death row to await his execution. But in the high court’s November decision, the majority agreed with Crawford’s attorneys who claimed the prosecution in Crawford’s trial was racially biased in striking five African-American prospective jurors. The jury ultimately consisted of nine white jurors and three African-Americans.  Crawford and his attorneys will be back in court on Feb. 22 for arguments and hearings. He remains free on bond. "
http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/man-released-from-death-row-will-have-to-wait-for-day-in-court/647418827

See reporter Domonique Benn's KSLR report on the hearing at the link below.  "Crawford learned Monday that he will have to wait until a hearing Feb. 22 for prosecutors to decide whether to move forward with another first-degree murder trial or reduce or drop the charges against him. Crawford told KSLA News 12's Domonique Benn he hopes the case is dropped. He added that he has been all right and working since his release."
http://www.ksla.com/story/34379164/shreveport-man-once-on-death-row-headed-back-to-court?clienttype=generic&utm_content=bufferd12fb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer