The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's order to free Tennessee death row inmate Paul House. AP reports, "Appeals Court Upholds Death Row Inmate Release," via WSMV-TV.
A federal appeals court Monday upheld an order releasing Tennessee death row inmate Paul House, who has been imprisoned nearly 22 years.
Federal Judge Harry S. Mattice Jr. ruled in December the state should release House, whose murder conviction and death sentence were questioned by the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago. Mattice told prosecutors they had 180 days to retry House or he would release the inmate later this month.
A brief opinion from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel in Cincinnati affirmed the lower court's order.
And:
DNA evidence helped lead the Supreme Court to question House's conviction in the 1985 slaying of Carolyn Muncey in Union County. The Supreme Court, in ordering a new hearing, also ruled House's jury didn't hear testimony that could have exonerated him.
Earlier coverage is here. More on House v. Bell, via Oyez, is here.
Paul House's case is one of those contained in Capital Punishment Stories, by Foundation Press as part of its Law Stories series. The book should be published later this year. Indiana University Law prof Joseph Hoffman presented the House case at UT Law's symposium on the book, noted in this post last year.
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