Supreme Court of Georgia Grants Stay of Execution For Warren Lee Hill, Jr.
52-year old Warren Lee, Hill Jr. was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7pm on Monday, July 23rd.
Hill is mentally disabled and that was the core of all the legal filings to stay the execution.
But within two hours of the execution, Hill was granted a stay by the Georgia State Supreme Court.
That’s because the Georgia Department of Corrections changed its lethal injection protocol replacing the three-drug cocktail with the use of just one, Pentobarbital.
Hill claims that decision is subject to the state’s Administrative Procedure Act, which requires public hearings before the change can be made.
Brian Kammer, Hill’s attorney says, “It was troubling to me and I think it was troubling to the Georgia Supreme Court and I think that they feel that they need to work out whether a department needs to comply with state laws surrounding those kinds of changes.”
Kammer says he told the news to Warren Hill and Hill’s family.
“I have to say the family is really thrilled and Mr. Hill was also glad.”
Ten years ago the United States Supreme court banned the execution of those considered mentally retarded.
But in Georgia, a defendant must prove mental retardation beyond a reasonable doubt to prevent an execution.
That’s the highest standard in the country.
So far Hill’s efforts to challenge that standard have been unsuccessful but Kammer says he will continue to fight to prevent Hill’s execution.
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