[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----FLA., LA., OHIO, WASH.
July 7 FLORIDA: 1st exonerated death row survivor in the US passes away Dave Keaton, the 1st death row exoneree in the US and the 1st death row exoneree from the State of Florida, passed away suddenly at home in Quincy, Florida. He was 63. He is survived by his siblings Elise, Thawanna, Victor and Edwardo. Keaton was an active and beloved member of Witness to Innocence, the nation's only membership organization of exonerated death row survivors and their loved ones, which he joined shortly after the organization's founding in 2005. WTI Executive Director Magdaleno Rose-Avila said, Dave Keaton was the 1st death row exoneree to begin speaking out against the death penalty. His false imprisonment and the life struggles he faced as an exoneree demands that we abolish capital punishment. Dave Keaton was arrested in 1971 for the murder of an off-duty police officer at a Florida convenience store. Although details of the number of participants in the crime, the weapons used, and the location of the getaway car differed sharply from the state's evidence, an all-white jury convicted and sentenced Keaton to death. He was 18 years old. Once he was on death row, the case against Keaton quickly unraveled. Keaton was granted a new trial, but without the confession, there was not enough evidence to try him and the charges were eventually dropped. Ultimately, he spent 2 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit, yet received no compensation from the state for his wrongful conviction. In addition to being the 1st man to be exonerated from death row in the United States, Keaton was an outstanding poet and singer, giving performances across the country as a member of Witness to Innocence. His story of being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death is immortalized in the motion picture and play, The Exonerated, in which his story has been performed by renowned actor Danny Glover and countless others for over a decade. To learn more, visit www.witnesstoinnocence.org or email i...@witnesstoinnocence.org. (source: Herald Courier) LOUISIANA: Louisiana Prosecutor Becomes Blunt Spokesman for Death Penalty In a much-discussed dissent from the Supreme Court's ruling on lethal injection last week, Justice Stephen G. Breyer laid out the problems, as he saw them, with the death penalty. Among them was arbitrariness in application, including how simple geography can determine whether someone convicted of murder would be sentenced to death. Between 2004 and 2009, Justice Breyer wrote, just 29 counties (fewer than 1 % of counties in the country) accounted for approximately !/2 of all death sentences imposed nationwide. Caddo Parish, here in the northwestern corner of the state, is one of these counties. Within Louisiana, where capital punishment has declined steeply, Caddo has become an outlier, accounting for fewer than 5 % of the state's death sentences in the early 1980s but nearly 1/2 over the past 5 years. Even on a national level Caddo stands apart. From 2010 to 2014, more people were sentenced to death per capita here than in any other county in the United States, among counties with 4 or more death sentences in that period. Robert J. Smith, a law professor at the University of North Carolina whose work was cited in Justice Breyer's dissent, said Caddo illustrated the geographic disparity of capital punishment. But he said this analysis did not go far enough. Caddo, he said, has bucked the national trend in large part because of one man: Dale Cox. Mr. Cox, 67, who is the acting district attorney and who has secured more than 1/3 of Louisiana's death sentences over the last 5 years, has lately become one of the country's bluntest spokesmen for the death penalty. He has readily accepted invitations from reporters to explain whether he meant what he said to The Shreveport Times in March: that capital punishment is primarily and rightly about revenge and that the state needs to kill more people. Yes, he really meant it. And he has been willing to recount his personal transformation from an opponent of capital punishment, a belief grounded in his Catholic faith, to one of the most prolific seekers of the death penalty in the nation. Retribution is a valid societal interest, Mr. Cox said on a recent afternoon, in a manner as calm and considered as the hypothetical he would propose was macabre. What kind of society would say that it's O.K. to kill babies and eat them, and in fact we can have parties where we kill them and eat them, and you're not going to forfeit your life for that? If you've gotten to that point, you're no longer a society. Mr. Cox later clarified that he had not seen any case involving cannibalism, though he described it as the next logical step given what he at several points called an increase in savagery. Mr. Smith said that Mr. Cox's personal evolution serves not only as a window into the criminal
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 7 ALBANIA: Tahiri comments the chance to restore death penalty in Albania Minister Tahiri has praised calls to restore the death penalty, after the execution of 2 Czech tourists. Through a detailed post on the social network Facebook, Tahiri writes that he has proposed 2 new initiatives. The call for death penalty? It is not a vindictive instinct, but is the strongest sign that people don't trust the justice system. It is also the biggest encouragement for reform. So I understand all those people who have written these days about the arrest of the prime suspect for the murder of 2 tourists in Dukagjin. Everyone that has suggested the restoring of death penalty, does not seek revenge, but justice. The disbelief that the justice system will not do justice, leads many people to believe that this is the only way. We can not choose the simplest way. We need to reform the justice system, while we need to monitor every decision of any judge in the country and report any abuse. I officially proposed 2 initiatives, which I hope will be subject of debate by the experts of relevant institutions but also to reform the justice system. The 1st proposal brings mechanical (mathematical) unity of penalties. If the proposal would be adopted, the criminal will be stay in prison for the 2 (or more) criminal offenses consumed. The 2nd proposal provides the isolation of high-risk convicts, removing any chance for them to return to the society as more trained criminals. (source: english.albeu.com) ___ A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----S.C., FLA., LA., OHIO, TENN., USA
July 7 SOUTH CAROLINA: Court filing: Accused Charleston church killer Roof headed to death penalty trial? Attorney Boyd Young, who specializes in representing defendants in death penalty trials, has filed notice in court that he will represent accused mass killer Dylann Roof in the state murder charges against Roof. Potential death penalty case are words on top of Young's filing in the Charleston County clerk of court's office. It will be up to to 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson to decide whether she will seek the death penalty in this case. She has made no announcement. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Wilson announced that Roof has been indicted on 3 additional attempted murder charges. He already is facing 9 murder charges in connection with the June 17 mass killings at a Charleston church. Tuesday's indictments of attempted murder relate to the 3 survivors of what is called a massacre of African-Americans at the hands of a white supremacist. Attorney Young works in the capital trial division of the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense, where he is deputy chief attorney. That division represents indigent defendants in death penalty trials statewide. The division not only provides legal representation to clients but also investigates cases. Young was not available for comment. Roof, 21, of Columbia, allegedly killed 9 African-Americans in a prayer meeting at Emanuel AME Church, according to warrants in the case. He was arrested hours later in Shelby, N.C. Jack Swerling, a Columbia private criminal defense attorney, said Tuesday that Wilson will make her decision on whether to seek the death penalty on several factors, including community sentiment, whether the death penalty is appropriate and the wishes of the victims' families. Another factor might be If this crime does not qualify for the death penalty, with 9 victims, then what case would? said Swerling. That would be a question people would ask, said Swerling, adding that Wilson is not likely to make her decision on that consideration, Swerling said. Swerling has handled more that a dozen death penalty cases, including some seven that went to trial. The cost of defending a death penalty case, which are ususally far more complicated than regular cases, can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Swerling said. But, he said, It's going to be a case where it's going to be difficult not to go for the death penalty, Swerling said. (source: The State) FLORIDA: 2 ways to make death penalty cases fairer -- The very day the Supreme Court upheld Oklahoma's lethal injection protocol, Florida moved to resume executing people. True, Justice Stephen Breyer's dissent laid a careful blueprint for declaring the death penalty unconstitutional, and with the court's 5-4 split and a presidential election on the way, abolition is a real possibility. In the meantime, however, executions continue, and the process is beyond flawed. Even the most ardent capital punishment proponents should support two small changes that would improve fairness now for deciding who lives and who dies. Among the many problems Breyer catalogs is the way jurors are chosen to serve. In capital cases, jurors must be willing to decide whether the defendant is guilty of a death-eligible crime. If so, then they must be willing to consider death as a possible punishment. That much seems reasonable, and not very different from any other kind of case. Jurors should always carefully consider all of the evidence before making up their minds. If we allowed them to decide in advance whether the person was guilty, or which punishment was appropriate, we would not need to bother with a trial. It seems reasonable, yet this process of death-qualifying jurors in fact causes significant unfairness. It skews jurors toward both guilt and death before they hear a single piece of evidence. In other words, death qualification encourages exactly what it is supposed to prevent: jurors deciding the issues without hearing the evidence. Only instead of jurors deciding in advance that they would not consider death, we get jurors deciding in advance that this person is guilty, and deserves to die. Prospective jurors in capital cases see that those who state they would not vote for death are disqualified from serving. Decades of carefully constructed social science research studies repeatedly show that this causes a skewing effect. When those who state they would not vote for death are excused, prospective jurors take that to mean the defendant is guilty and deserves to die. The only task seems to be finding a jury of people who can do what must be done. One small change would help: Truly bifurcate capital trials. Although capital cases have 2 phases (guilt and sentencing), many jurisdictions' laws require that the same jurors hear both. This unitary jury requirement should be repealed. Without that requirement,
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 7 CHINA: Chinese court upholds death penalty for 5 people in plot to kill miners and claim compensationSchemers were able to claim $300,000 in compensation due to lax safety regulation A court in eastern China upheld death sentences for 5 people who conspired to kill miners in what they claimed were mine accidents and then posed as relatives to claim $300,000 in compensation. The Hebei Higher People's Court delivered the verdict Friday for 5 defendants who were convicted in August 2014. They were among a group of 21 people in the scheme, which targeted migrant workers and took advantage of lax safety and loose regulation of mines. Members of the group first hatched the plan in July 2011 when they met a migrant worker from southern China who came to Hebei seeking employment, the China News Service said in a report Fellow miners killed him while he worked underground at an iron mine in October of that year and then reported a cave-in. 2 members of the group posed as his widow and surviving son, in order to claim about $100,000 in compensation. The group continued the pattern in 3 other murders through February 2012 until staff at 1 of the mines became suspicious and reported the incident to police, the report said. In all, the group had claimed about $300,000 in compensation. The report gave no details of how the murders were carried out or how they were made to look like mine accidents. (source: Associated Press) INDIA: Prosecution pushes for confirmation of death sentence for Kalamboli orphanage founderSpecial public prosecutor Rohini Salian on Monday sought confirmation of punishment of a man who was sent to the gallows in 2013 for raping and killing deaf and mute orphaned girls in a shelter home he founded. Special public prosecutor Rohini Salian on Monday sought confirmation of punishment of a man who was sent to the gallows in 2013 for raping and killing deaf and mute orphaned girls in a shelter home he founded. Escorted by a police constable, Ramachandra Karanjule was present in the courtroom of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai. While Salian put forth her arguments, trying to build a foundation for the case, Karanjule seated on the last bench of the courtroom, looked on without expression. Karanjule, who founded the Kalyani Mahila Bal Kalyan Seva Sanstha (KMBKSS) in Kalamboli, had moved the High Court challenging his conviction and seeking acquittal. Salian tried sketching the whole case again. Karanjule founded the orphanage for mentally challenged women and children in Panvel. But in the garb of a noble act, he exploited them sexually and mentally. She showed the judges pictures of the victims, allegedly abused, physically and sexually. The senior prosecutor said Karanjule and his accomplices, in an inebriated condition, would gag, rape and torture the girls. Salian read the compilation of evidences, statements of witnesses and girls - who testified with interpreters using gestures. Psychiatrists, members of a High Court appointed committee, state's Child Welfare Committee, inspected the shelter home and found out that the girls were victims of sexual torture. The court had found him guilty of murdering a deaf-mute girl, gangraping 5 minors and sexually assaulting 6 at the shelter home. Karanjule, who was called papa by the victims, beat them up, forced them consume alcohol and raped them, said Salian. The girls called him 'papa' and 'papa' did all these horrible things with the daughters by forgetting all morality and rules of society and the dharma, the trial court had observed during its sentencing. The trial court had even termed the acts of Ramachandra Karanjule and his accomplices as diabolical while observing he was not worth of any leniency. On the contrary, Karanjule in his appeal questioned testimonies of witnesses including the victims,and the psychiatrist and interpreters who interacted with them. Karanjule said there was no independent interpreter and the girls could have been tutored. (source: Indian Express) THAILAND: Controversial trial of alleged killers of British backpackers to start in Thailand2 Burmese men accused of killing Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao last September go on trial on Wednesday, amid controversy over their treatment by Thai police The parents of 2 British backpackers murdered in Thailand last September flew into the island of Koh Samui on Tuesday morning for the trial of the alleged killers. But while the families of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller are hoping to see justice done, the start of the court case on Wednesday seems likely to generate more controversy, as doubts continue to swirl over whether the right people are on trial for the horrific crime. Miss Witheridge, 23, and Mr Miller, 24, were killed in a vicious attack late at night on the neighbouring island of Koh Tao. The murders dented
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----MISSOURI----Updated execution alert for David Zink
Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty Updated alert: July 14, scheduled execution of David Zink. If you have already called Governor Nixon, many thanks. Please call again with more on why he should not be executed: Missouri plans to execute David Zink on Tuesday, July 14 for the murder of Amanda Morton. Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) condemns his wrongdoing and mourns with her loved ones over her violent passing. Killing him, however, only perpetuates a vengeful cycle of violence, suggests more death promotes healing and ignores the additional suffering the execution would cause his family members and others who care for Mr. Zink. Other issues worth considering and further meriting mercy include: Jurors were Unaware of Brain Damage from Serious Childhood Illness. As a 3-year old, David Zink contracted meningitis/encephalitis, leading to an 8-day hospitalization, according to his clemency petition to Gov. Nixon. Neuropsychologist D. Malcolm Spica, who recently evaluated him, confirmed the illness very likely led to organic brain damage as demonstrated in cognitive tests. In one he per-formed in the first percentile, meaning that 99% of subjects do better in so-called executive function-ing, including the abilities to control impulses, process complicated information and make decisions. Represented Self in Trial Due to Public Defender Neglect. Mr. Zink was to be represented by the Western Capital Division of the Missouri Public Defender System when the office was in turmoil. Requests from initial attorneys for resources were denied; continuances by attorneys delayed the trial. Unaware of office infighting, the mentally-impaired defendant became so frustrated he opted to represent himself—a request the judge honored. His public defenders chose not to acknowledge to the trial judge their inability to “successfully represent Mr. Zink” because they did not want judicial interference with managing their system, the petition notes. “Mr. Zink was sacrificed to the organizational concerns.” Model Prisoner Who Could Spend Life in Prison. Mr. Zink has had no significant conduct violations after being sent to prison and has lived nearly all his time in the Honors Dorm. The psychologist reports, “Mr. Zink is likely to continue functioning well in a highly structured environment (which).. decreases the need for complex problem-solving under pressure.” Eighteen prisoners submitted affidavits of support noting he helps keep the peace, provides a positive role model, is always respectful of guards and has shown genuine remorse for the murder. Actions Needed Immediately * Contact Governor Nixon to urge that he stay Mr. Zink’s execution. Call 573-751-3222. * Contact Attorney General Chris Koster to urge that he ensure justice by facilitating the stay. Call 573-751-3321. Vigils on Tuesday, July 14 at the following times and communities: Bonne Terre: A candlelight vigil will be held outside the prison where the execution takes place, 2727 Highway K. For more information email stlo...@madpmo.org, or call Margaret on 314-322-5159. Columbia: 5 pm to 6 pm, Boone County Courthouse, in front of the columns, corner of Walnut and 8th. For more information contact 573-449-4585. O-Fallon: Monday, July 13, 7 p.m. Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in O'Fallon.Coordinator: Sr. Ellen Orf: email: el...@cpps-ofallon.org phone: 636-293-8253. Directions to the Chapel: I-70 to O'Fallon K--M exit (Main St.). Turn right from the exit ramp and head north to railroad tracks; after crossing tracks, you will see the O'Fallon City Hall complex, the former convent and junior college; go past the entrance to the next right and turn in there. Jefferson City, Capitol vigil: 12 pm - 1pm. A respectful Vigil for Life outside of the Governor's office, Second Floor (Room 216) of the State Capitol Building. Jefferson City: Prayer service, 4:30 pm, in St. Peter's Chapel, Broadway St. 5- 6 pm. Vigil across from the Supreme Court Building at 207 West High Street, 4:30-5:30. For more information contact 573-301-3529. Joplin: Prayer begins at 5:30 pm. St. Peter the Apostle Church, Mass begins at 6 p.m. followed by continued prayer. Contact Fr J. Friedel for more information, at 417-623-8643. Kansas City: JC Nichols Fountain on the Plaza, 5-6 pm. For more info contact 816-206-8692. Springfield: Park Central Square, 12 noon to 1 pm. For more information call Donna, 417-459-2960. St. Joseph: 4pm at the intersection of Belt Frederick. Contact Jean at 816-671-9281 for more info. St. Louis: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Vigil on the steps of St. Francis Xavier Church at the corner of Grand and Lindell. A group will carpool from there to reach Bonne Terre before 6 p.m. For more information email stlo...@madpmo.org, or call Margaret at 314-322-5159. Spread the word! Forward this email to a friend. Get involved in our campaign to end the death
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 7 INDIA: 1993 blasts accused Yakub Memon could be hanged this month, moves curative petition As per legal process, a curative petition can only be filed when the petitioner establishes that there was a genuine violation of principles of natural justice in his case, and when the petitioner fears the judge delivering the sentence was biased. As a last resort to save his life, the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon has moved a curative petition before the Supreme Court, seeking a review into the death penalty awarded to him by a TADA court in 2006. Memon's mercy plea before the President and the review petition before the Supreme Court have already been rejected. Highly placed sources have confirmed that the TADA court, which had sentenced Memon to the gallows, has issued a date for his execution that could be some time later this month. But Memon, a Chartered Accountant by profession, who has maintained his innocence throughout the case, has taken this last chance to save himself. The grounds on which the petition has been filed have not yet been declared, because the petition is still in process. As per legal process, a curative petition can only be filed when the petitioner establishes that there was a genuine violation of principles of natural justice in his case, and when the petitioner fears the judge delivering the sentence was biased. Not just that, a curative petition must also be accompanied with certification issued by a senior lawyer. The petition is then sent to the three senior-most judges, as well as judges of the bench who passed the judgement affecting the petition, if available. If the majority of the judges agree that the matter needs hearing, then it would be sent to the same bench (as far as possible) for a hearing. But if the court does not find merit in the case, it may impose exemplary costs on Memon. On April 16, the Supreme Court rejected Yakub's review petition against his conviction and sentence. The same court had earlier rejected his appeal against his conviction by a special court in Mumbai in 2006, and the president had rejected his mercy petition in May 2014. On the charges for which Yakub has been convicted, none of his co-accused has been given the death penalty. Who is Yakub Memon? Yakub Abdul Razak Memon is a Chartered Accountant by profession, and is convicted in the 1993 Bombay blasts case. He is a brother of Tiger Memon, one of the prime accused in the attacks which killed 257 people. What is the case against him? He was found guilty of conspiracy, facilitating and disbursing funds for terrorist acts, and arranging tickets for other convicts who received arms and ammunition training in Pakistan. Why are his lawyers seeking repeated reviews? Under the 3 charges for which he has been convicted, none of his co-accused has been given the death penalty; all of them have been given jail terms of 5 to 14 years or less for the same offence. What is a curative petition? The concept of curative petition was evolved by the Supreme Court to ensure that an aggrieved person is entitled to any relief against the final judgement or order of the Supreme Court, after dismissal of a review petition. (source: DNA India) BAHAMAS: Life Of Crime: Making The Punishment Fit The Crime Dr Mike Neville is a forensic psychiatrist who has spent 40 years - the majority in the Bahamas - working in the hospitals, courts and prisons at close quarters with offenders. The father of a recently murdered son, he is bringing his experience and expertise to bear in a series in The Tribune designed to inform an evidence-based national debate on how to solve the rising levels of serious crime here. Week by week Dr Neville examines the causes, effects and potential remedies of crime, from the cradle to the grave, looking at the reasons behind the increasing catalogue of murders, shootings, armed robberies and sexual assaults. And we want you to be involved. Every Tuesday, you can comment on his articles in The Tribune and call in to an hour's live phone-in on KISS FM96.1 from 3pm on 677-0961. Dr Neville will welcome views - unconventional, challenging and supportive - from everyone. Join the discussions via comments on tribune242.com, email to lifeofcr...@tribunemedia.net or listen and ring into the radio today. The concept of punishment is part of our very selves. It presents a perverse persuasiveness, fooling us that it is the solution to all of society's ills. It seems so simple: the imposition of an unpleasant penalty for unacceptable behaviour will work ... surely? Most of us think, well, I would not want that to happen to me so there is no way I am going to do that. Does that thinking apply to us all? The problem is that society and families must have sanctions for unacceptable behaviour and there is no shortage of creative punishments that have been used throughout history. The question
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, PENN., GA., LA., ILL., NEB., CALIF., USA
July 7 TEXAS2 new execution dates Judge sets execution date for Fort Worth killer of 3 A Tarrant County judge on Monday set an October execution date for a Fort Worth man who killed 3 men in 2 days in 2005. State District Judge David C. Hagerman ruled that Christopher Wilkins, 46, of Fort Worth will be put to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. Oct. 28. Wilkins took the witness stand in March 2008 and admitted to a string of crimes that included the killings, then told the jury that he didn't care whether he lived or died. But now, as he lives on death row, Wilkins may be having 2nd thoughts, said his attorney, Hilary Sheard. It would not be the only case that I've come across where someone has changed their mind, Sheard said outside the courtroom Monday. Sheard argued that the court should not schedule Wilkins' execution so she would have more time to file appeals, and she said his previous appeals attorney had not adequately investigated his case. Hagerman denied all of Wilkins' claims, saying the same arguments had been made to appeals judges and had been rejected. During his 2008 trial, a jury of 5 women and 7 men deliberated for about 90 minutes before deciding that Wilkins should die for his crimes. Several jurors cried as state District Judge Everett Young announced their verdict. The jury convicted Wilkins of capital murder for fatally shooting Willie Freeman and Mike Silva on Oct. 27, 2005. A day earlier, according to prosecutors and Wilkins, he killed Gilbert Vallejo outside a south Fort Worth bar during a dispute about the pay phone. In 2005, Wilkins said, he was released from a California federal prison to a halfway house in Beaumont, where his family lived. His stepfather got him a job making $23 an hour, and his grandmother gave him a Cadillac, he testified. But, he said, when Hurricane Rita struck, he was transferred to a halfway house in Houston, where his children and ex-girlfriend lived. He got a day pass and called his ex-girlfriend, wanting to see his 3 children, he said. That didn't work out and, instead of returning to the halfway house, he went to a strip club. Later, Wilkins said, he stole a truck and drove to Fort Worth. Wilkins then detailed for jurors how he killed Freeman out of revenge because Freeman ripped him off in a dope deal and laughed at him, and how he killed Silva, Freeman's friend, because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He killed Vallejo, he said, because Vallejo made him mad. Wilkins acknowledged that he also nearly killed 2 more people about a week later when he intentionally ran them down on a sidewalk in a stolen car because he believed that one of them had stolen his sunglasses. After he was captured and charged with capital murder, Wilkins testified, he began plotting his escape from jail. He said he also lied about committing other killings all over the country, hoping that police would continue taking him out of the jail for interviews. He planned to use a handcuff key that he bought from an inmate for $100 and reproduced to free himself and make a run for it, he said. His plans were foiled, however, when the handcuff key was discovered. (source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram) * Gilmar Guevara has been given an execution date for October 11; it should be considered serious. ** Executions under Greg Abbott, Jan. 21, 2015-present9 Executions in Texas: Dec. 7, 1982present-527 Abbott#scheduled execution date-nameTx. # 10--July 16--Clifton Williams-528 11-August 12Daniel Lopez--529 12-August 26Bernardo Tercero--530 13-September 2--Joe Garza-531 14-October 6Juan Garcia---532 15October 11Gilmar Guevara---533 16-October 14---Licho Escamilla---534 17-October 28---Christopher Wilkins---535 (sources: TDCJ Rick Halperin) PENNSYLVANIA: Additional psychiatrist sought in death penalty trial of Ummad Rushdi Death penalty counsel for accused baby killer Ummad Rushdi will be filing a petition seeking an additional $10,000 to pay for a new psychiatrist. Rushdi, 32, is accused of killing 7-month-old Hamza Ali in August 2013 at his parent's home in the 6600 block of Chestnut Street, Upper Darby, then transporting the body elsewhere and burying it at an unknown location. He has been charged with 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-degree murder, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse, for which he faces the death penalty. Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Wills is prosecuting. Judge James Nilon has so far authorized up to $30,000 to pay for the services of a psychiatrist and death penalty mitigation specialist. He said he would happily authorize additional funds for another psychiatrist, with
