Nov 30 2006
Drunkard Supreme Court Justice overturns murderer’s death penalty
If someone in your family is raped, robbed, and then stabbed to death in Washington, don’t expect justice. At least not from Justice Bobbe Bridge (you know the one, the hit-and-run-drunk-driving supreme court justice) and her cohorts on the Washington Supreme Court. Especially if the prosecutor suggests that life in prison for the rapist, robber, and murderer is too lenient.
Aggravated murder is a capital crime and it should carry a mandatory death sentence. Allen Eugene Gregory certainly didn’t show any leniency to Geneine Ann Harshfield on the night he raped, robbed and killed her ten years ago.
The state Supreme Court overturned a convicted murderer’s death penalty today, saying evidence from his rescinded rape convictions and a prosecutor’s misconduct require a new sentence.
The 8-1 ruling came in the consolidated case of Allen Eugene Gregory, who appealed his convictions for rape in 2000 and his aggravated murder conviction from 2001.
The majority, led by Justice Bobbe Bridge, overturned the rape convictions, saying the trial judge should have considered evidence that may have helped Gregory’s defense.
The justices then threw out Gregory’s death sentence, saying evidence of the rapes influenced his sentencing for murder. The court also said it would have overturned the death sentence anyway, because the prosecutor committed misconduct by improperly suggesting life in prison was too lenient for Gregory.
…
Justices Richard Sanders and Mary Fairhurst agreed with the Supreme Court’s result, but said they differed on the reasoning. Justice Jim Johnson dissented from the ruling, writing that the ruling “comes in total disregard of Washington’s victims of crimes rights.”
Source: The Seattle Times: Local News: Wash. Supreme Court overturns murderer’s death penalty
Cross posted at Perri Nelson’s Website.
3 Responses to “Drunkard Supreme Court Justice overturns murderer’s death penalty”
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OK, Perry… The prosecution knows - or thinks it knows - they have this guy… Why do they keep pounding, break the rules, and ruin their own case? Are they incompetent? Or is it possible they are wrong?
Sorry, I can’t help it. Without reviewing the specifics, I have to defer to the Court. I’m tired of seeing men cleared of crimes posthumously. And I don’t trust the fuzz or the local prosecutors.
Besides… Life in prison is worsre than death…
Sorry I am kinda with Perri on this.
The crime warranted the sentance and life in prison for such brutality is too lenient.
How is that misconduct.
And Possum, so far there have been many people on death row released with new evidence, or other factors. Our system of appeals works. But since you raised the accusatoin, how many cases can you cite of people executed who were later exonerated?
He was guilty. DNA evidence won’t clear him, it convicted him.The prosecution didn’t actually do anything wrong other than to say that life in prison would be too lenient for him. Justice isn’t served by overturning a death sentence for aggravated murder, rape and robbery because a prosecutor said the perpetrator deserved to die.In any case, Bobbe Bridges doesn’t belong on the court. She belongs in jail. She committed two hit-and-runs the night she was arrested for drunken driving. She blew three times the legal limit when she was tested for alcohol that night. Twice.Justice wasn’t served that night either.