Monday, June 9, 2008

Update on Executions

David Mark Hill was executed by the State of South Carolina on June 6, 2008. He had decided to forego any further appeals. According to Amnesty International USA, Hill had a history of mental illness, including several suicide attempts.

The execution of Percy Levar Walton in Virginia is still set for tomorrow, June 10. Jennifer Givens with the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center and one of Walton's lawyers, said, "There is no new evidence or evaluations that have been conducted recently. I can assure you, however,that Walton is still severely mentally ill." (Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 6, 2008). Governor Tim Kaine has twice delayed Walton's execution in light of evidence of his severe mental illness and concerns about Walton's understanding of the reality of his execution. Kaine is supposedly reviewing Walton's clemency petition but has not yet commented on the case or any action he might take.

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