Notorious Florida gang leader dodges the death penalty
November 14, 2024
Corey Smith, convicted gang leader and murderer, no longer faces the death penalty as the state has decided to not move forward with the penalty. This decision comes after the court decided that the case was too old and too many witnesses were no longer around to re-litigate.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article295563919.html
Utah judge rules for continuation of death penalty case prosecution despite collusion allegations
November 5, 2024
Two Utah lawyers representing different state agencies in the prosecution of Ralph Menzies were accused by Menzies’ defense team of improper collusion in their email exchanges. A Utah judge ruled that, although the two did have hundreds of email exchanges, there was no collusion.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2024/11/05/utah-ags-office-can-continue/
Lawyers challenge a man’s death sentence on the grounds of racial bias
August 22, 2024
Lawyers defending Hasson Bacote argue that his 2009 sentence to death was based upon racial bias, as he, a black man, was convicted by a jury of ten white and only two black jurors.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawyers-spar-alleged-jury-selection-racial-bias-black-defendants-death-rcna167405
Florida executes man convicted of murder and rape
August 30, 2024
Loran Cole, a Florida man convicted of kidnapping and murdering a college freshman and raping his older sister in 1994 while they were camping, was executed by lethal injection by the state of Florida.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/us/florida-execution-loran-cole/index.html