U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Alabama death row inmate

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: AL.com

U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Alabama death row inmate

Updated on June 19, 2017 at 11:46 AM Posted on June 19, 2017 at 11:20 AM

BY IVANA HRYNKIW [e-mail]

The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a ruling from a federal appeals court in an Alabama death row inmate's case.

James McWilliams, 60, has been on death row since 1986 after he was convicted of raping and killing a store clerk in Tuscaloosa. After several appeals focusing on the fact McWilliams did not have an independent mental health expert at his trial, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied McWilliams' appeal in 2015.

Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the appeals court decision and remanded the case to back to a lower court for further review. ... No execution date has been set for McWilliams.

According to court documents from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, McWilliams said the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court where he was convicted should have granted him a continuance before sentencing, because some psychiatric records had only arrived at court the morning of his sentencing. McWilliams lawyers were only permitted to review the documents during a brief recess at the clerk's office, court documents showed. ... Before his trial, a Tuscaloosa "Lunacy Commission" of three doctors told the court McWilliams was not mentally ill at the time of the crime, competent to stand trial, and was faking psychotic symptoms.

Read more: http://www.al.com/news/tuscaloosa/index.ssf/2017/06/us_supreme_court_rules_in_favo.html

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Also see: Today at the Supreme Court: Live blog of orders and opinions - June 19, 2019
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029223167

MCWILLIAMS v. DUNN, COMMISSIONER, ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, ET AL.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/16-5294_h3dj.pdf

[FLPanhandle]

1. I'm not totally against the DP, especially for guys like this piece of shit.

"The defendant, James Edmund McWilliams, Jr., raped, robbed, and murdered Patricia Vallery Reynolds. The crime occurred on December 30, 1984 at Austin's Food Store, Hargrove Road, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. "Patricia Vallery Reynolds was a clerk at Austin's, a convenience store.

The defendant went into the store, locked the front doors, robbed Mrs. Reynolds by taking money from her possession, took her to the back room and brutally raped her, then shot her with a .38 caliber pistol. There were 16 gunshot wounds (8 entrance, 8 exit). She was initially shot while standing, and also shot while lying on the floor. She was shot 6 times, with 2 of the bullets first penetrating her hand or arm before entering and exiting her body. The bullets penetrated both lungs, both hemidiaphragms, *987 the liver, pancreas, stomach, spleen, upper forearms, and hand. "Mrs. Reynolds died in surgery at 12:40 a.m. The cause of death was exsanguination. "The defendant was identified by eyewitnesses who placed him at the scene. "The defendant was apprehended in Findlay, Ohio, driving a stolen car. The murder weapon (also stolen) was in his possession.
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There is no doubt of his guilt, he even bragged about it in prison. In these hideous cases where there is no doubt of guilt, I'm okay with the DP.

[7962]

3. Exactly. NO doubt as to his guilt.

Which isnt even the point of the appeal.

[Dustlawyer]

2. No death penalty.

Juries get it wrong way too often, and in a country where having money or not can be the difference between guilt and innocence, life in prison is fine with me. I believe that it would be worse knowing that everyday for the rest of your life you are in a cage.

There are no do-overs with death.

[Ligyron]

4. Think of all the people who got fried before DNA testing.