LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Lawyers for the state of Arkansas say two men who won temporary stays during a flurry of executions last spring never reached the minimum standards necessary to trigger aid from mental health professionals throughout their trials.Attorneys for Bruce Ward and Don Davis went before the state Supreme Court on Thursday to argue independent psychiatrists should have reviewed their files and helped develop trial strategies. In their questioning, justices said Ward wasn’t fully cooperative when doctors assessed him and that Davis appeared to have received a level of assistance that went beyond what was required.
The court last April stopped Ward’s and Davis’ executions so it could review what level of assistance was required. At the time, the U.S. Supreme Court was looking at a similar case from Alabama. Lawyers for Arkansas and the inmates differed Thursday on what it meant for Arkansas’ death row cases.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI