Seriously, I hope the nomination is completed soon because I have to wonder if it’s the reason behind why one of the Circuit Judges also mentioned for the job hasn’t ruled on a pcr motion to overturn a murder conviction sent to him by the Supreme Court a year ago. It’s been 7 months since the evidentiary hearing and brief was filed. The judge promised a decision by the end of last year.

Today is the inmate’s 20th birthday. He’s been locked up since barely age 15, the same age he was when he was interrogated alone at Lee County Jail with no lawyer or parent present for days, in shock after fighting for his life hours earlier.

The MS Supreme Court granted him post conviction relief back on April 27th, 2008 with no written opinion. It simply said “IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the motion for post-conviction collateral relief filed by counsel for _________ is hereby granted”, dated April 30, 2008. His counsel asked for his conviction to be overturned.

The trial judge refused to honor the order saying it’s never been done before. True, no murder conviction had ever been overturned on a PCR. It took 3 months for the Supreme Court to come back with a Clarification. In July of ’08 they denied summary relief and allowed the inmate to proceed back to trial court (thank the gods it wasn’t killed altogether).

I’d like to think the judge is working on a well thought out reasoned and researched decision, but after 7 months it feels more like a stall. It was clear at the hearing he wasn’t happy and made some rather weird comments to inmate’s counsel. He seemed annoyed through most of the 3 hours of testimony. The boy only had a 2 day trial with no witnesses called on his behalf. His key witnesses were held in a closet, literally with brooms and buckets and never called. Why is he annoyed?

Well anyway, I hope this nomination process ends soon so everyone can get back to doing their job. Justice waits. But on the bright side, every day with no decision is a day there’s still hope.

Eclectic? As best I can tell, we talk about the law, food, music, chickens, cannons, bacon, and politics. Does eclectic = redneck?

Thanks for the updates NMC.