Death penalty appeal denied

A federal appeals court rejected a Georgia inmate’s bid to overturn his death sentence in the 1986 murder on St. Simon’s Island.

Robert L. Newland was convicted of attempting to rape, and then murdering neighbor Carol Sanders Beatty.

Newland claimed his legal council was ineffective, that it failed to appeal what he says was a forced confession. He also says more should have been done to show the jury his past as they determined his punishment.

House votes to change death penalty law

The state House voted yesterday to grant judges the ability to impose the death penalty, even if a jury does not unanimously endorse the punishment. Current state law forbids the death penalty if one or more jurors disapprove of the sentence in a case.

The move divided Georgia’s Republican legislators. GOP sponsors of the bill say the change will prevent convicted murders from avoiding the death penalty because of a sole dissenter. GOP opponents warned that putting life-or-death decisions in the hands of one judge jeopardizes fairness and justice.

House members voted 112-55 to pass the measure. It is the chamber's second attempt to change the law in as many years.

Baldwin County jury hands-down death sentence

A Baldwin County man has been sentenced to death for the killings of his wife and teenage stepdaughter two years ago. The jury returned the verdict after eight hours of deliberations over two days. 36-year-old Brian Duane Brookins was convicted of the murders on Saturday.

Two on death row seek clemency

Clemency hearings have been scheduled for two convicted killers who are set to be executed in Georgia later this month. Jack Alderman will get a hearing two days before his October 19th lethal injection. Curtis Osborne has a hearing scheduled for four days before his October 23rd execution. Alderman and Osborne would be Georgia’s second and third executions this year.

Death sentence in Savannah murder

A death sentence has been delivered to a man convicted of murdering a Savannah woman and her teenage daughter. 23-year-old Darryl Stinski and another man tortured and killed 41-year-old Susan Pittman while robbing her home in 2002. They then burned the house to the ground to hide the evidence. 13-year-old Kimberly Pittman died in the fire. The other man Dorian O’Kelley was also sentenced to death.

Death sentence upheld

The Supreme Court today let stand a death sentence for a Georgia death row inmate. John W. Hightower of Milledgeville was convicted in 1998 of killing his wife and two stepdaughters. Hightower, who is black, claimed that prosecutors improperly struck blacks from the jury.

State lawmakers plan a busy day

The General Assembly plans to vote on more than fifty bills before adjourning later today. Earlier this morning, the House voted to ban sales of marijuana-flavored candy to minors. People caught selling it could be fined $1000. The following bills are still to come:

• A bill to allow judges to impose the death sentence in trials even when some jurors oppose it.
• A bill to strip counties of most of the profits they make on red-light cameras. State lawmakers want to use that money to pay for trauma care services.
• A bill to move Georgia's primary election date up to February 5, 2008.
• A bill restoring "payday" lending, which is now illegal.
• The supplemental budget, which includes new money for the Peachcare child health program.

This is the second-to-last day for legislation to pass one chamber this year, according to General Assembly rules. The House will take up Senate bills next week, and vice versa.