Federal Court Denies Warren Hill’s Appeal to Halt Execution
The following article is the News article from GCDD's Summer 2013 Making a Difference magazine that will be released next week. This article was printed before the news released earlier this week that Warren Hill's appeal has officially been denied and he is set for execution on Monday, July, 15, 2013 unless the Supreme Court steps in.
Federal Court Denies Warren Hill's Appeal to Halt Execution
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) has been closely advocating for and following the national controversy surrounding the Warren Hill case, a man with an undisputed intellectual disability who is in a legal fight to have his death penalty sentence overturned. Despite being officially diagnosed as having intellectual disabilities, Georgia law places an even higher burden of proof on defendants in death penalty cases, requiring them to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that they have intellectual disabilities.
After two previous execution halts in July 2012 and February 2013, on April 23, 2013 in a 2-1 vote, the 11th Circuit US Court of Appeals denied Warren Hill's petition for the court to consider new evidence that proves he has an intellectual disability and would halt his execution.
"People with intellectual disabilities deserve to live as full citizens of this country and State, protected by laws designed to recognize our diversity and uphold our basic rights, despite our differences," said GCDD Executive Director Eric Jacobson, who has been active with other disability organizations in advocating for Warren Hill's rights as a person with intellectual disabilities.
Representative Plans to Study Georgia's Death Penalty Requirements
Due to the national outcry and the unconstitutional call for the execution of Warren Hill, Representative Rich Golick (R-Smyrna) pledged to take a closer look at Georgia's death penalty law during the off season of the legislative session.
Georgia is the only state in the nation that requires those on death row must prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that they have an intellectual disability. Advocates across the board are calling for Georgia's legislature to re-examine its current law on death penalty requirements for persons with intellectual disabilities.
Golick, chair of the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, says his committee will commission a study to take a closer look at the current law.
"It may result in a change, it may not," Golick says. "But I think when you're alone in a particular approach on a very serious issue, and there's no more serious issue than the death penalty, a serious study of that issue is warranted."
For more information, visit http://gcdd.org/news-a-media/press-releases/2500-man-with-intellectual-disability-mental-retardation-to-be-executed-in-georgia-july-15-unless-scotus-steps-in.html
