English

Una corte d'appello federale ha sospeso l'esecuzione di Philip Workman, 47 anni, condannato a morte per aver ucciso un poliziotto nel 1981, il cui appuntamento con il boia era fissato per mercoledi' prossimo. Si tratterebbe della seconda esecuzione in Tennessee negli ultimi 40 anni. Ma l'esecuzione potrebbe ancora avvenire: John Pierotti,l'avvocato di Workman, ha detto che la sospensione e' stata data dalla sesta corte d'appello federale che ha sede a Cincinnati, per dare tempo alla Corte Suprema di valutare se siano stati violati i diritti del condannato a un processo giusto. L'avvocato ha detto che uno dei testimoni depose il falso, e ha successivamente ritrattato: inoltre, secondo la difesa, i test balistici non hanno mai chiarito se il tenente Ron Oliver fu davvero ucciso da Workman o da un colpo sparato da un altro agente mentre la polizia cercava di sventare una rapina in un ristorante. La commissione 'perdoni' dello stato ha respinto all'unanimita' la commutazione della pena capitale in ergastolo, e ha inoltrato questa raccomandazione al governatore Don Sundquist, il quale ha detto di voler decidere sulla possibile clemenza solo dopo che si sara' espressa la corte suprema. Lo stato del Tennessee ha messo a morte nel 2000 Robert Coe, ma, a differenza di quella esecuzione (la prima dal 1960), il caso di Workman ha generato un animato dibattito e controversie sulla sua colpevolezza.

Court Grants Tennessee Cop Killer Stay of Execution NASHVILLE

- A U.S. appeals court has granted a stay of execution to Philip Workman, a 47-year-old convicted police killer who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Wednesday in only the second execution in Tennessee in more than 40 years. John Pierotti, Workman's attorney, said the stay issued late on Friday by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati will be in effect until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on two specific issues involving Workman's right to a fair trial. ``First, we are asking for an evidentiary hearing on the basis of new evidence,'' Pierotti said. ``The second issue is a writ of habeas corpus petition we filed charging that a witness committed perjury and has since recanted.'' Workman was convicted of the fatal shooting in 1981 of a Memphis, Tennessee, police officer during a holdup. He is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 1 a.m. CST Wednesday at Riverbend Penitentiary in Nashville. But Workman's defense has launched a legal battle against the execution saying a witness at Workman's trial later admitted lying and ballistics testimony did not clearly determine whether Lt. Ron Oliver was killed by Workman or accidentally by fellow officers called to the scene of the restaurant holdup. ``This has been a terrible uphill battle but we're going to go all the way fighting on this case because we truly believe this man did not receive a fair trial,'' Pierotti said. The appeals court's stay is the second issued to Workman. His first appeal to the Circuit Court resulted in a stay last April. In September, the Circuit Court deadlocked 7-7 on Workman's appeal. Last week, the Tennessee State Board of Probation and Parole unanimously denied a request by Workman to commute his death penalty sentence to life imprisonment. The Board's ruling was passed on to Gov. Don Sundquist, who had been expected to rule on Saturday on clemency but has now announced he will withhold action pending U.S. Supreme Court action. Correction Department spokesman Steve Hayes said prison officials are prepared to go ahead with Wednesday's execution if the Supreme Court ruling turns down Workman. Pierotti said ``it is unlikely that the high court will dissolve the stay without a ruling on the merits of the case.'' The execution would be only the second in Tennessee since 1960, following one last year. Unlike Tennessee's execution in 2000 of convicted child killer Robert Coe, Workman's case has elicited widespread controversy throughout the state.