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New date for Texan's death duWASHINGTON (AP) -The Supreme Court is passing up an opportunity to decide whether the death penalty is valid for someone who took part in a crime leading to murder but didn’t actually kill anyoneThat question was a key issue in an appeal by acondemned Texas inmate, Ernest Benjamin Smith Jr. The court refused to consider his case Monday. Only three of nine justices voted to hear his arguments, one vote short.Smith, 29, a resident of the state’s death row at Huntsville. was convicted in the 1973 armed robbery of aDallas convenience store in which clerk William Moon was shot and killed. Testimony at Smith’s trial established that his criminal partner, Howie Robinson, shot Moon as the clerk appeared to be reaching for a hidden gun Like many states with death penalty laws, TexasFIRST HAM) LOOK AT WEBB — Sgt. Thomas Rice (left) answers questions about the base fire department to patients of Park View Manor Nursing Home. Pushing patient Maycie Perry for a closer look is SSgt. Neil Sullivan The two sergeants and the rest of Webb NCO Leadership School Class 77-E treated about 30 patients and eight staff members to a tour of the base recently The patients also got to see the jet engine shop, link trainers, RArCON and saw films at Withycombe HallComplaints, passengers increaseWASHINGTON (AP) Passenger complaints on Amtrak trains are still increasing but not as ust as the number of new rir’^rs according to the iia oal railroad coroorationservice is showing progress, although the performanceon the Meti' liner between Washin'ttoi, New York and Boston is mong Amtrak’s po oi sL—Complaints rf nverhpatodelsewhere around the nation.Reistrup said over-a 11 the consumer complaint trend “shows real improvement ” He said that while there were 19,749 complaints lasthas a socalled “felony murder” statute that allows juries to sentence non-killers to death if a murder arises from their crime.In chosing not to review Smith’s case, the court automatically ended a stay (rf execution granted last November by Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. A new date for Smith’s death in the electric chair likely will be scheduled soon.Smith's appeal raised only one of many capital punishment questions not answered by the court last July 2 when it upheld as constitutional the death penalty laws in Georgia, Texas and FloridaThe court said then that states using certain guidelines could sentence murderers to death. The court will hear arguments on March 28 in cases that could expand those crimes for which the death penalty would be deemed legally appropriateIn other matters Monday, the court:—Ruled judges can not prohibit newspapers from publishing information from a public hearing even if state law would have permitted the hearing to be closed The justices voted unanimously to strike down a “gag order” against three Oklahoma City newspapers—Refused to review a Kentucky Supreme Court decision that landowners who sell mineral rights may prohibit strip mining of coal under certain circumstances. The landowners’ attorney said the ruling would ; iake coal companies careful to disclose if strip mining was contemplated when purchasing mineral rights.—Ruled states may collect taxes from out-of-state companies for the privilege of doing business within that state. The decision, reversing a 26-yearold ruling by the high court, could open the way for many states to collect millions in new taxan inrr»»alt;sp nf 7 OOOrevenues.
Newspaper Details
Big Spring Herald
Big Spring, Texas, US
Tue, Mar 08, 1977
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Jared T.
NA, NA 31 Aug 2023
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