Delaware's Death Penalty Upheld: Yesterday's Blog Scan reported that the Third Circuit had upheld Delaware's death penalty. Today, News Journal writer Sean O'Sullivan reports that Monday's ruling will pave the way for executions, on hold since May 2006, to resume. Attorneys opposing the protocol had used the 2005 case of Brian Steckel, the last person to be executed in Delaware, as a reason to bar the death penalty. During Steckel's execution, an intravenous line used to deliver the drug cocktail became blocked and the procedure took far longer than usual. The appeals court viewed the problems as "a string of isolated examples of maladministration." It is not clear when lethal injection executions will resume in Delaware or which death-row inmate will be the first scheduled to die. While legal observers, such as defense attorney Joseph Gabay, believe Monday's ruling by the appeals court likely ends the matter, attorneys for Delaware's death-row inmates may ask for a re-hearing and attempt to have the U.S. Supreme Court review the case.
"U.S. pushes for Noriega Extradition to France": The Associated Press reports on attempts by the U.S. government to clear the way for former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to be extradited to France on money-laundering charges. Prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Paul Huck to lift a stay blocking Noriega's extradition now that the U.S. Supreme Court last week rejected Noriega's appeals. Noriega claims as a prisoner of war he should be sent home. More information on the court's decision can be found here and here.
New Gitmo Prison Cost Included in Budget: CNN writer Terry Frieden reports that President Obama has requested more than $230 million to buy and prepare an idle Illinois prison to house terrorism suspects now detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The budget requires congressional approval, and several lawmakers in both the House and Senate have vowed to block the funds, potentially preventing the transfer of many of the 192 remaining Guantanamo detainees to U.S. soil. "Even though Americans are facing tremendous economic challenges, the administration has chosen to spend $237 million dollars in taxpayer money to provide free travel, room and board in Thomson, Illinois for some of the most dangerous Guantanamo detainees," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Even if the funds are approved in October 2010, Justice Department officials said Monday the transfer of any detainees was unlikely to start until several months later.
The Justice Department budget also seeks an additional $73 million dollars for the transfer, prosecution and incarceration of five Guantanamo Bay detainees currently slated to stand trial in criminal court for their alleged roles in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Gary Grindler, the acting deputy attorney general, said the Justice Department is committed to a civilian trial for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four others charged in the terrorism case. Grindler said no decision has been made on whether the trial would be moved from New York City. Federal officials informed New York authorities that the cost of a long-running trial in New York City could approach $1 billion.
"Grand Jury Dusts off 31 Cold Cases": CNN writer Gabriel Falcon reports on Northampton County, Pennsylvania district attorney, John M. Morganelli has decided to review as many as 31 homicide cases dating back for the last 30 years. These cases will be presented to a special investigative grandy jury starting Thursday, and meeting over the next 18 months. Richard Branagan is optimistic his daughter's killer will be found. Holly Branagan, 17 at the time, was found murdered March 1979 in her home with repeated stab wounds. No one was ever charged with her slaying. Cases such as this have piled up as "cold cases." Advances in examining genetic material could play the most important role in unraveling these mysteries. "There is evidence that we collected at the time it was initially investigated," said Robert Egan, the man leading the investigations for Morganelli's office. "We are working with that evidence, and we are working with some of the new DNA technology."
"U.S. pushes for Noriega Extradition to France": The Associated Press reports on attempts by the U.S. government to clear the way for former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to be extradited to France on money-laundering charges. Prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Paul Huck to lift a stay blocking Noriega's extradition now that the U.S. Supreme Court last week rejected Noriega's appeals. Noriega claims as a prisoner of war he should be sent home. More information on the court's decision can be found here and here.
New Gitmo Prison Cost Included in Budget: CNN writer Terry Frieden reports that President Obama has requested more than $230 million to buy and prepare an idle Illinois prison to house terrorism suspects now detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The budget requires congressional approval, and several lawmakers in both the House and Senate have vowed to block the funds, potentially preventing the transfer of many of the 192 remaining Guantanamo detainees to U.S. soil. "Even though Americans are facing tremendous economic challenges, the administration has chosen to spend $237 million dollars in taxpayer money to provide free travel, room and board in Thomson, Illinois for some of the most dangerous Guantanamo detainees," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Even if the funds are approved in October 2010, Justice Department officials said Monday the transfer of any detainees was unlikely to start until several months later.
The Justice Department budget also seeks an additional $73 million dollars for the transfer, prosecution and incarceration of five Guantanamo Bay detainees currently slated to stand trial in criminal court for their alleged roles in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Gary Grindler, the acting deputy attorney general, said the Justice Department is committed to a civilian trial for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four others charged in the terrorism case. Grindler said no decision has been made on whether the trial would be moved from New York City. Federal officials informed New York authorities that the cost of a long-running trial in New York City could approach $1 billion.
"Grand Jury Dusts off 31 Cold Cases": CNN writer Gabriel Falcon reports on Northampton County, Pennsylvania district attorney, John M. Morganelli has decided to review as many as 31 homicide cases dating back for the last 30 years. These cases will be presented to a special investigative grandy jury starting Thursday, and meeting over the next 18 months. Richard Branagan is optimistic his daughter's killer will be found. Holly Branagan, 17 at the time, was found murdered March 1979 in her home with repeated stab wounds. No one was ever charged with her slaying. Cases such as this have piled up as "cold cases." Advances in examining genetic material could play the most important role in unraveling these mysteries. "There is evidence that we collected at the time it was initially investigated," said Robert Egan, the man leading the investigations for Morganelli's office. "We are working with that evidence, and we are working with some of the new DNA technology."
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