Judge: Death-row inmate can waive appeals

[longnecker]

WILMINGTON -- A Superior Court judge has ruled that death-row inmate Shannon M. Johnson can waive further legal appeals and speed his own execution.


This will almost certainly mean that the 28-year-old Johnson, who was convicted for the 2006 slaying of Cameron Hamlin and stalking and shooting a witness to the killing, will be the next inmate in Delaware to be executed.
Exactly when that execution will take place has not been determined.
Judge M. Jane Brady's 11-page ruling -- finding that Johnson was competent to waive his appeals -- was made public Monday.
Brady wrote that Johnson has "no mental or cognitive deficiency" that would cause her to ignore Johnson's stated wishes to drop appeals and move his execution forward.
Johnson's attorney, Jennifer-Kate Aaronson, who said at earlier proceedings that she opposed Johnson's actions but felt compelled to abide by his legal wishes, declined comment on Monday. However, Aaronson said her client "is very pleased with the court's decision and hopes that the court schedules his execution as quickly as possible."
Deputy Attorney General Paul Wallace issued a brief statement indicating prosecutors agreed with Brady's "well-reasoned decision that Shannon Johnson has the capacity and ability to make the decision to end all efforts to contest his conviction and sentence."
Wallace wrote that the next step in the process will be for Brady to hold a hearing and set Johnson's execution date.
Attorney Thomas Foley, who was appointed to present an adversarial viewpoint in the competency hearing -- because Johnson, his attorney and state prosecutors were all in agreement -- declined comment Monday.
Foley was appointed after the Federal Public Defender's Office for Delaware attempted to intervene in the case and file court actions on Johnson's behalf -- and against Johnson's wishes -- in both federal and state court.
Brady indicated her displeasure with the Federal Public Defender's action in a footnote of her ruling stating that the attempt to join the case was "unsolicited" and caused "delay and distraction."
http://www.delawareonline.com/articl...nclick_check=1

[Tralee]

["Foley was appointed after the Federal Public Defender's Office for Delaware attempted to intervene in the case and file court actions on Johnson's behalf -- and against Johnson's wishes -- in both federal and state court.
Brady indicated her displeasure with the Federal Public Defender's action in a footnote of her ruling stating that the attempt to join the case was "unsolicited" and caused "delay and distraction."]

Johnson has made his wishes clear, apparently is competent to make that decision, the judge rightly let the matter proceed and I agree that the self-appointed watch dog of capital punishment has gone over the line on this one. At this point, Johnson having been declared competent, it's none of their business other than to push their own, anti-death penalty, agenda. Let it go guys, let the man have what he wants.

[EpicWin]

Better yet slip him some rope in his cell and let him save us all the trouble.

[Mark]

Del. inmate waives appeal; execution set

A Delaware death row inmate who has waived his right to all further appeals of his conviction and death sentence has been sentenced to die by lethal injection.

A Superior Court judge set an April 20 execution date for Shannon Johnson during a brief hearing Wednesday. Johnson waived his right to a requirement that the execution be held no sooner than 90 days from the sentencing date. read more