Supreme Court reinstates death sentence for man convicted in carjacking, rape, murder [View All]

Source: Associated Press

Last updated June 4, 2007 8:10 a.m. PT

Supreme Court reinstates death sentence for man convicted in carjacking, rape, murder

By MARK SHERMAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence
Monday of a Washington state man convicted of carjacking, rape
and murder who initially won a reprieve by arguing that a potential
juror was wrongly excluded from his trial.

The court, in a 5-4 decision, said that the Washington judge who
presided over the trial of Cal Coburn Brown properly used his
discretion to excuse a potential juror who expressed equivocal
views about the death penalty.

The juror in question was challenged by prosecutors because he
indicated he would impose the death penalty only if the defendant
were in the position to kill again. Jurors' options were limited:
they could sentence Brown to death or life in prison with no parole.

-snip-

Justice John Paul Stevens, reading a strong dissent from the bench,
said the court wiped away earlier decisions that allow death penalty
opponents to sit on juries in capital cases, provided they demonstrate
they can set aside their beliefs and follow the law.

-snip-

Read more: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_Scotus_Washington_Murder.html

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Also: Monday's Supreme Court Highlights - AP