Despite
New Evidence, U.S. Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal of Tennessee
Death Row Inmate
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The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review the case of
Tennessee death row inmate Philip Workman, who claims his new
evidence should be sufficient to overturn his conviction. The
Court granted Workman a stay of execution in February, but with
this ruling Tennessee is now free to re-set the execution date.
Workman is still seeking clemency from Gov. Don Sundquist.
(New York Times, 2/27/01). An execution date has been set for
March 30.
Rep. Frank Buck, D-Dowelltown, one of the Tennessee
Legislature's leading death penalty supporters, recently wrote to
Governor Don Sundquist urging
him to grant clemency to Workman.
Citing new evidence and a recanting witness, Buck believes
"justice may not have been done in this case."
Workman, who was convicted of killing Memphis police Lt.
Ronald Oliver, has new evidence to support his claim that he could
not have fired the shots that killed Oliver.
"Governor, this case just does not sit right on my
conscience," wrote Buck, the chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee. "There is enough doubt here that if I were on the
jury, I would never vote for the death penalty in this particular
case." (Knoxville News-Sentinel, 2/3/01)
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