Will the U.S. Supreme Court grant a stay of execution for Mississippi man on death row?
Mississippi's oldest prisoner on death row has filed an emergency stay of execution with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking for a last-minute reprieve.
Richard Gerald Jordan, who turned 79 on May 25, is scheduled for execution on June 25.
Jordan has been on death row in Mississippi since 1977 for the 1976 kidnapping and murder of Edwina Marter, the wife of a Gulfport bank executive.
His attorneys are questioning the constitutionality of his death sentence, saying he was never given "the assistance of an expert 'sufficiently available to the defense' to assist in evaluating and preparing a mitigation case based on Petitioner's mental condition," according to the application for the stay filed May 21.
What to know: Mississippi has an execution scheduled. How is it done? What is the process?
"Petitioner was examined by a psychiatrist whose report was provided to the prosecution and then used against Petitioner during his sentencing proceedings."
Jordan also is still awaiting the outcome of a petition for a writ of certiorari from the U.S. Supreme Court.
"If this execution is not stayed pending disposition of this case, Petitioner will undeniably suffer irreparable harm," his attorneys said in court documents. "This is an 'irremediable' harm because 'execution is the most irremediable and unfathomable of penalties.'"
Death row: Mississippi man to be executed in June asks state court to reconsider elements of his case
In addition, executing Jordan before the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the petition would mean the Mississippi Supreme Court would be stripping power from the nation's highest court by rendering its decision moot, Jordan's attorneys wrote.
Jordan's attorneys hope the U.S. Supreme Court will consider Jordan's petition at its May 29 conference.
Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi death row inmate asks SCOTUS for stay of execution
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