STORY: "Willie Manning's second death penalty case awaiting judge's decision," published by the Associated Press on May 17, 2013.
GIST: "Willie Jerome Manning, who won a stay of execution in one capital case, waits to hear if an Oktibbeha County judge agrees he was denied a fair trial in 1996 when he was sentenced to death for the slayings of two women. The judge has promised a decision by the end of June. The Mississippi Supreme Court will have the final say on whether the death sentence will stand. On May 7, Manning was within hours of being executed for the fatal shootings of two Mississippi State University students when the state Supreme Court ordered a reprieve. The Supreme Court has not said why it issued the stay. Manning had argued DNA testing would prove him innocent. The execution overshadowed the pending case in Oktibbeha County.........The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld Manning's conviction and death sentences in 2000. In 2004, the Supreme Court gave Manning limited approval to try to convince a judge he deserved a new trial. In his request to the Supreme Court to pursue a post-conviction claim, Manning cited 16 issues. The justices allowed three -- whether prosecutors withheld certain evidence, whether prosecutors presented false evidence and whether Manning was denied effective assistance of counsel at trial and on appeal. Oktibbeha County Circuit Judge Lee Howard conducted hearings on the post-conviction petition in January and April 2011. In February 2013, the Supreme Court asked Howard why no ruling had been issued. In his response, the judge said his decision had been delayed because lawyers on both sides asked for more time to file briefs, which he had to review while continuing his own court schedule. Howard asked the Supreme Court to give him until June 28 to file his ruling on Manning's post-conviction petition."
The entire story can be found at:
GIST: "Willie Jerome Manning, who won a stay of execution in one capital case, waits to hear if an Oktibbeha County judge agrees he was denied a fair trial in 1996 when he was sentenced to death for the slayings of two women. The judge has promised a decision by the end of June. The Mississippi Supreme Court will have the final say on whether the death sentence will stand. On May 7, Manning was within hours of being executed for the fatal shootings of two Mississippi State University students when the state Supreme Court ordered a reprieve. The Supreme Court has not said why it issued the stay. Manning had argued DNA testing would prove him innocent. The execution overshadowed the pending case in Oktibbeha County.........The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld Manning's conviction and death sentences in 2000. In 2004, the Supreme Court gave Manning limited approval to try to convince a judge he deserved a new trial. In his request to the Supreme Court to pursue a post-conviction claim, Manning cited 16 issues. The justices allowed three -- whether prosecutors withheld certain evidence, whether prosecutors presented false evidence and whether Manning was denied effective assistance of counsel at trial and on appeal. Oktibbeha County Circuit Judge Lee Howard conducted hearings on the post-conviction petition in January and April 2011. In February 2013, the Supreme Court asked Howard why no ruling had been issued. In his response, the judge said his decision had been delayed because lawyers on both sides asked for more time to file briefs, which he had to review while continuing his own court schedule. Howard asked the Supreme Court to give him until June 28 to file his ruling on Manning's post-conviction petition."
The entire story can be found at:
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/05/willie_mannings_second_death_p.html
Dear reader: Stay tuned for future posts. The Charles Smith Blog is following this case.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
