is in today's El Paso Times.
Lawyers for convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood saved him from the executioner last week by arguing that he is so mentally retarded he cannot read.
Many question the defense claim, and no less a figure than Wood himself has cast doubt on it.
"I can read and write the English language," Wood said in a 1976 court statement, when he was 19 years old.
He offered this self-assessment after being accused of indecency with a 12-year-old girl, one of several sex crimes Wood was charged with.
To escape the death penalty, Wood must be able to prove he is mentally impaired. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted Wood's scheduled execution on Aug. 20 so a hearing can be held to determine whether he meets U.S. Supreme Court guidelines for mental retardation.
In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to execute a mentally retarded person. By the time of the ruling, Wood had been on Texas' death row for 10 years.
And:
Previous tests indicated that Wood had an IQ that ranged from 56 to 71, depending on the particular test.
District Court Judge Bonnie Rangel scheduled a status teleconference for today to sort out the schedules and procedures for Wood's appeal.
Earlier coverage of the Atkins issue, which resulted in a stay of execution, is here.
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