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Arkansas Supreme Court Decision Allows New DNA Testing in Case of the ​“West Memphis Three,” Convicted of Killing Three Children in 1993

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On April 18, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court decided 4-3 to reverse a 2022 lower court decision and allow genetic testing of crime scene evidence from the 1993 killing of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis. The three men convicted in 1994 for the killings were released in 2011 after taking an Alford plea, in which they maintained their innocence but plead guilty to the crime, in exchange for 18 years’ time served and 10 years of a suspended sentence. 

India | SC stays death warrant against convict in rape, murder of Surat 3-yr-old, questions issuance before expiry of 60-day appeal period

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the issuance of black warrants for execution of death penalty by trial courts even before the expiry of 60-day time period for filing of appeal by convicts in the apex court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde referred to the 2015 verdict of the apex court in which it was held that the death warrant cannot be issued before the expiry of 60-day mandatory period available to a convict for filing the appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court's judgement.

"We want to know as to how such orders issuing black warrants are being passed by the trial court despite a reported judgement in this regard. Someone has to explain this. The judicial process cannot be allowed to happen like this," the bench said.

It also stayed the death warrant issued by a Gujarat sessions court against a convict Anil Surendra Singh Yadav in a rape and murder case.

The bench also sought assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and asked him to find out reasons for issuance of such death warrants despite the apex court's judgement. 

The law officer said the ignorance of law cannot be grounds for judges to pass such orders.

Source: firstpost.com, PTI, February 20, 2020


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

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