Capital Crimes Annual Report State and Federal Cases 2010
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Capital Crimes annual report state and Federal Cases 2010 Released April 1, 2011 www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov Criminal Justice Section Office 614-728-7055 Fax 614-728-8600 150 E. Gay St., 16th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov April 1, 2011 The Honorable John Kasich The Honorable Thomas E. Niehaus Governor of the State of Ohio President of the Ohio Senate Riffe Center, 30th Floor Statehouse, 2nd Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Columbus, OH 43215 The Honorable William G. Batchelder The Honorable Maureen O’Connor Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Riffe Center, 14th Floor Ohio Judicial Center Columbus, OH 43215 Columbus, OH 43215 Dear Governor Kasich, Speaker Batchelder, President Niehaus, and Chief Justice O’Connor, The General Assembly requires the Ohio Attorney General to produce an annual report on capital punishment regarding individuals who have been sentenced to death since Oct. 19, 1981. The report for the 2010 calendar year follows. It was compiled by our Capital Crimes Unit using information provided from court records, county prosecutors, and the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. You will find this report considerably larger than prior ones. This is not due to a significant increase in the number of new death row inmates. Rather, this year’s report includes more than 40 cases that were not published in prior reports. The Capital Crimes Unit added these cases upon closer examination of the statute and to ensure compliance with the General Assembly’s requirement to report information about every instance an individual has been sentenced to death row since Oct. 19, 1981, regardless of whether the individual’s sentence of death was vacated or his or her conviction was overturned. These cases are of historical interest only, as they do not involve pending court review of the prisoners’ convictions and sentences. Among the cases added are those of former death row inmates whose original convictions and death sentences occurred more than 20 years ago. Every effort has been made to obtain accurate information on these cases. Very respectfully yours, Mike DeWine Ohio Attorney General TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORY OF OHIO’S DEATH PENALTY .................................................................................................... 1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................... 1 PROCEDURAL CHANGES TO DEATH PENALTY APPEALS..................................................................................... 1 LEGISLATION ELIMINATES ELECTROCUTION ..................................................................................................... 2 NATIONAL BAN ON EXECUTION OF MENTALLY RETARDED INDIVIDUALS ......................................................... 2 DNA TESTING OFFERED TO DEATH SENTENCED INMATES ................................................................................ 2 OHIO UPDATES EXECUTION PROCEDURE TO A ONE DRUG PROTOCOL............................................................... 3 OHIO’S DEATH PENALTY STATUTE .......................................................................................................... 4 THE CAPITAL INDICTMENT ................................................................................................................................4 Aggravated Murder – Defined by R.C. 2903.01........................................................................................... 4 Aggravating Circumstances – Specified in R.C. 2929.04(A)(1) – (A)(10)....................................................4 NOTIFICATION OF CAPITAL INDICTMENT TO OHIO SUPREME COURT – R.C. 2929.021 ...................................... 5 THE CAPITAL TRIAL – R.C. 2929.03 .................................................................................................................. 5 Guilt/Culpability Phase................................................................................................................................ 6 Sentencing/Mitigation Hearing – R.C. 2929.03 and 2929.04....................................................................... 6 DEATH PENALTY REVIEW PROCESS................................................................................................................... 8 Direct Appeal in State Court ........................................................................................................................ 8 Post-Conviction Petition in State Court ....................................................................................................... 8 “Murnahan” Appeal in State Court ............................................................................................................. 9 Habeas Corpus in Federal Court: District Court Level............................................................................... 9 Habeas Corpus in Federal Court: Court of Appeals Level ........................................................................ 10 Habeas Corpus in Federal Court: U.S. Supreme Court Level ................................................................... 10 Second Round of Federal Review............................................................................................................... 10 Executive Clemency Review ....................................................................................................................... 11 FLOWCHART: OVERVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY APPELLATE PROCESS .............................................................. 12 MENTAL RETARDATION CLAIMS ............................................................................................................ 13 NATIONAL BAN ON EXECUTION OF MENTALLY RETARDED INDIVIDUALS ....................................................... 13 OHIO’S PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSING MENTAL RETARDATION CLAIMS .......................................................... 13 MENTAL RETARDATION CLAIMS PENDING IN STATE COURT IN 2010 .............................................................. 14 DNA TESTING .................................................................................................................................................. 15 DNA OVERVIEW.............................................................................................................................................. 15 LEGISLATIVE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 15 Capital Justice Initiative............................................................................................................................. 15 Senate Bill 11.............................................................................................................................................. 16 Senate Bill 262............................................................................................................................................ 16 REQUESTS FOR DNA TESTING MADE TO STATE COURTS ................................................................................ 17 FEDERAL COURT ORDERED DNA TESTING...................................................................................................... 19 STATE CONDUCTED DNA TESTING ................................................................................................................. 21 OVERVIEW OF ALL DEATH SENTENCES................................................................................................ 23 Executions (41)........................................................................................................................................... 23 Commutations (14) ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Deceased Prior to Execution (20) .............................................................................................................. 24 Ineligible for Death Sentence Based on Mental Retardation (8)................................................................24 Pending Re-sentencing (7).......................................................................................................................... 25 Pending Re-trial (1).................................................................................................................................... 25 Other Death Sentences Removed Based on Judicial Action (64) ............................................................... 25 Active Death Sentences (155)..................................................................................................................... 25 i DEMOGRAPHICS ............................................................................................................................................ 27 EXECUTED INMATES (41)................................................................................................................................. 27 VICTIMS OF EXECUTED INMATES (66).............................................................................................................. 27 CAPITAL SENTENCES ISSUED SINCE 1981.............................................................................................. 28 CASE HISTORY SHEETS ............................................................................................................................... 33 GLOSSARY.....................................................................................................................................................