6 February 201015 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Federal Judge disagrees with Miranda Rights violation

originally published by: Phoenix New Times
2nd February 2010

A U.S. District Court Judge has dealt Debra Milke a big legal setback, ruling that the death-row inmate did validly waive her Miranda rights against self-incrimination before she allegedly confessed to having her son murdered in 1989.

Judge Robert C. Broomfield’s 21-page ruling comes two weeks after hearing from both Milke and former Phoenix homicide Detective Armando Saldate during an evidentiary hearing in his courtroom. The hearing had been ordered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after it ruled that it could find no evidence that Milke had waived her rights.

27 January 201015 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Troy Davis and the quest for justice

originally published by: Harvard Law School
7th January 2010

On Wednesday, September 16, the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice hosted an event to recognize the extraordinary death penalty case of Troy Anthony Davis.

Charles Ogletree ’78, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, moderated a panel which brought to together Davis’; sister, Martina Correia, his amicus counsel Kathleen Behan, and Jason Ewart, an Arnold and Porter associate who represented Davis during his habeas corpus petition before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The story of Troy Anthony Davis’ case began on August 19, 1989 with the shooting death of police officer Mark MacPhail in a Savannah, Georgia Burger King. Two years later, Troy Anthony Davis was convicted and sentenced to death.

23 January 201015 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Supreme Court ruling against Mumia

originally published by: Bay View
20th January 2010

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and granted the Philadelphia DA’s petition for a writ of certiorari. Basically, the Supreme Court went against the lower federal circuit court’s 2001 and 2008 rulings, which granted a new sentencing phase jury trial if the death penalty was to be reinstated in Jamal’s case.

Now the case goes back down to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, who will decide whether they will re-impose the death penalty without the jury trial.

In a recent interview with the Block Report, Mumia spoke about the Spisak case, in which the death penalty has since been reinstated for the white supremacist murderer Frank Spisak.