U.S. Supreme court stays Powell’s execution
PETER CLHEL/AP
Paul Warner Powell (right) is led into the courtroom before sentencing May 8, 2003, at the Prince William Judicial Center.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Paul Warner Powell set for tomorrow night in the 1999 slaying of 16-year-old Stacie Lynn Reed.
The stay will hold at least until late September when the justices have their next regular conference to consider what cases to take up in the coming term.
The high court could decide to hear Powell’s double jeopardy claim, further delaying any execution; turn him down, automatically lifting the stay; or do nothing, indicating the court may wait until it decides a different case in which another issue raised by Powell is being considered.
Powell, 31, had had asked to die in the electric chair.
After his first death sentence was thrown out, Powell, 31, got himself onto Virginia’s death row a second time for the capital murder of Reed.
Powell’s first death sentence was overturned by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2001, saying it had to be proved that Powell had raped, robbed, or attempted to rape or rob Stacie in addition to killing her.
Believing there was no risk of execution in a retrial on a lesser charge of first-degree murder, Powell wrote a mocking letter to the prosecutor, revealing he had attempted to rape Stacie before killing her in her Manassas-area home.
That letter was the basis of the state’s second prosecution, which Powell’s lawyers contend is being tried twice for the same crime.
Reader Reactions
As much as I would like to see this man executed right now so the family would not have to worry about ever dealing with this legal mumbo jumbo again, I have always kind of took ddan’s point of view…..dying now would be an easy way out of his “suffering”, if that’s what you can call it compared to what he did to that poor girl. But something makes me say yep, isolate him from now until he dies of natural causes, no perks whatsoever, let him rot in prison, think long & hard about whatever he wants to, guarantee he will end up mentally torturing himself. I just cannot find one ounce of compassion for this guy.
“Why won’t Frank Green and the RTD tell us which justice issued the stay?“
Could it be because they don’t know who ordered the stay???
“(ORDER LIST: 557 U.S.)
MONDAY, JULY 13, 2009
ORDER IN PENDING CASE
09-21 (O9A19) POWELL, PAUL W. V. KELLY, WARDEN
The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is granted pending the disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari. Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically. In the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the stay shall
terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court.“
Since the court is in recess, all of the justices could not have acted on the motion for a stay…it took only one justice’s action. Why won’t Frank Green and the RTD tell us which justice issued the stay?
The death penalty is a mercy to the executed. Put him in an isolation cell, allow him one hour of sunlight per day, give him no contact with anyone except those who hold him. Feed him well, and keep him alive as long as possible. Give him no hope of ever attaining any degree of freedom. Leave him isolated from the human race, with only himself and his past to keep him company. Give him no television, no radio, no books, no pen and paper. That would be punishment. Think about the cost of prosecuting a death penalty case through to actual execution. Guarantee my way would be a lesser burden on society. Think about the number of death penalty cases that have been overturned with new evidence proving the innocence
of the condemned. My way would ensure that when DNA or other evidence proves the innocence of a person convicted of a capital crime, that person would be around to be set free.
We euthanize animals to end or prevent their suffering. It is, in most instances, a mercy. Why do we do the same for people like Powell?
Keep him alive. Let him suffer.
Why did this so called body of judges wait until the last minute to continue something that’s been planned for years. This animal should be sent to stay with each justice and defense attorney under house arrest. Then they could truly see evil at it’s worst. This piece of garbage laid in waiting, killed one girl and then raped and repeatedly stabbed the younger sister. Afterwards he bragged about it and even sent letters to the mother. If there was ever anyone that deserved the death penalty, he’s the one. Once again the mother and sister suffer for this alleged’s person’s rights, while no one protects theirs. UFB
Fry him and his lawyer who is no better a person than the killer and rapist. Every time I see a case like this I silently wonder if the same thing happened to the lawyers who screw our laws around to “save” these scumbags what their reaction would be. Maybe if it hits home to some of them they will think twice about impeding justice of the people. Wife, daughters, mother, it would send the message.
I can think of no profession except politicians who are the bottom feeders of society. Then again most politicians are lawyers. No wonder we are so screwed up.
This piece of scum doesn’t deserve to breathe air one more minute! How can they grant a stay in a case like this? He brutally killed and attacked these young girls and then bragged about it, what a piece of garbage! Fry his sorry a**!
Anon - you haven’t heard of him because the original crime is at least 9 years old. You either weren’t around then, or didn’t pay any attention to the news.
Disgusting, yet not surprising. Did you know that prior to about the mid 1950’s the national average from a death sentence to the electric chair was about 45 days?
Wilbur No one is licking their chops.A chair is to good .All he needs is a ROPE or One bullet.
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