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Death row inmate asks court to reconsider
Published Sunday, July 13, 2008
JACKSON (AP) — A federal appeals court should throw out Paul E. Woodward’s death sentence because prosecutors plotted to keep blacks off a Jackson County jury, according to Woodward’s attorneys.
On Monday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled a hearing on the issue for Sept. 3 in New Orleans. The panel did not rule on any specific claims.
Woodward, now 60, was convicted in 1987 of capital murder and sentenced to death in the killing of Rhonda Crane. Crane was a volunteer worker at the Jackson County Youth Court.
She was driving from Escatawpa on July 23, 1986, to join her parents at Flint Creek Water Park in Wiggins when Woodward used his log truck to force Crane to stop her car on Mississippi Highway 29 south of New Augusta, prosecutors said.
Woodward kidnapped the woman and then forced her to have sex with him before shooting her, prosecutors said. Her body was found the next day in a wooded area.
Woodward also got two consecutive 30-year terms for kidnapping and sexual battery.
The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld Woodward’s conviction in 1988.
In 1993, Woodward won a new sentencing hearing because of a faulty jury instruction under what is known as the ‘‘Clemons rule.’’ In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Mississippi death penalty case against Chandler Clemons that describing a crime to juries as ‘‘especially heinous, atrocious or cruel’’ without further definition was unconstitutionally vague. The decision dealt only with the sentencing phase of a capital murder trial, not convictions.
A Perry County jury in 1995 again sentenced Woodward to death.
Woodward contends that prosecutors kept blacks off the jury during that sentencing hearing. Woodward, who is white, argued prosecutors’ action was unconstitutional and left him facing an all-white jury.
Under a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Batson v. Kentucky, lawyers are not allowed to exclude people from a jury because of their race. Since that ruling, lawyers must provide race-neutral reasons for excluding minority jurors.
Both the Mississippi Supreme Court and a federal district court ruled that prosecutors did not discriminate against black jurors because of their race. But Woodward argued to the 5th Circuit that the lower courts ignored the cumulative effect of striking all the black jurors. He said the exclusion of every black person from the jury panel appeared to be purposeful discrimination.
‘‘I think the 5th Circuit will find there were race-neutral reasons given by the district attorney,’’ Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said.
Attorneys for Woodward did not return telephone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment on the case.
Comments
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Considering we have a judicial system who has proven the guilty and the innocent, in this case according to the article, what should be reconsidered is the amount of time these folk are allowed to stay on the system and be supported year after year, even though they are locked up. What should be reconsidered is how the justice system treats the victim and the family. Those are just a few of the reconsiderations needed.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 11:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You are so right teach4peace....
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So will they bring this lady back to life? He's still living and thinks he deserves to get out! They should have put him to death years and years ago....He put his victim to death why would he get anything better than he gave her?
Posted by Blasterhappy (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 4:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if the victim was White or Black. I would bet White since the Race card is being played. This guy has lingered way to long already and should be put to death. The time and money could be used for a better purpose in our legal system than entertaining these thugs.
Posted by blessed_momma (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
UUUUUGGGHH! Killers make me sick! WHY is he hollering discrimination when he is white? Thats just a low down, sorry, pitiful, horrible, excuse to try to keep his sorry butt alive after he gave the poor lady NO choice! WHY is he trying to play racism?? That makes me sick! he purposefully murdered and now as you all have said and I agree 100%; our tax dollars have been spent on this low life murdering coward (boy, it takes a real man to kill a woman, huh? ) when our tax dollars could have been used to help the victims family instead. I think that the punishment should fit the crime. They kill, kill em. They steal, cut their hands off, they rape, castrate them! Instead of taking federal monies away from disabled and eldery and using to give criminals a free ride through life! Unfortunetly, the victim didnt get to yell discrimination or anything else in her defense! The loser has been convicted not once, but 2 times! Away with him already! Im SICK of the race thing!
Posted by vidalia1 (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 6:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is he saying that Black jurors would have found him not guilty?
Posted by blessed_momma (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think its just a last sick attempt to keep his murdering, low life butt around a while longer. Isnt that stupid ! ? He was found guilty TWICE! The victim didnt get the right to appeal! How does he think that color or race is going to make him innocent? !
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 1:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fry him!
Posted by blessed_momma (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
AMEN, Ntz mom55! Quit wasting and taking away from the good people that need help and FRY him!!! Well said NtzMom55! Short and to the point! you go girl!
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