Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Death Penalty Information Center

Criminal Law

: Death Penalty Information Center

Arkansas Advocacy Group Pleads for Clemency for Mentally Retarded Man

By Death Penalty Information Center

On July 30th, Arkansas leading advocacy organization for people with mental retardation, Arc Arkansas, delivered a letter to Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas Parole board urging clemency for Frank Williams, Jr. Williams is a mentally retarded man scheduled for execution on September 9th and the Arkansas Parole Board is holding a clemency hearing on his case on Monday, August 4th. The letter highlights how executing a mentally retarded person is unconstitutional based on both Arkansas 1993 statutory ban and the U.S. Supreme Court s 2002 ruling. Williams, with an IQ of 75, was held back in school three times before dropping out in the 10th grade. Arc Arkansas Chief Operating Officer, Cynthia Stone, wrote, It would be a great injustice and a violation of our own state laws to execute Frank Williams, Jr...continue to full post

Full post as published by Death Penalty Information Center on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).