Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Justices’ Vote in Death Case Is Close Again, but Differing

The New York Times reports, “For the fourth time in a row, the Supreme Court on Monday decided a death penalty case by a vote of 5 to 4.” “But this time,” explains the report, “contrary to the court’s overturning of three Texas death sentences last month, a narrow majority went the other way and reinstated the death sentence of an Arizona man who argued that his lawyer had failed to discover or present crucial evidence that could have persuaded the jury to spare his life.”