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Atkins (finally) wins in Virginia

By cdw

The Virginia Supreme Court today upheld the life sentence imposed upon Daryl Atkins. The Virginia Supreme Court has upheld a decision by late York Circuit Judge Prentis to commute death row inmate Daryl Atkins’ sentence to life in prison. Smiley issued the decision in January 2008 after hearing evidence that prosecutors withheld evidence that they coached co-defendant William Jones’ testimony against Atkins. A jury sentenced Atkins to death in 1998 for the 1996 robbery and shooting death of Langley airman Eric Nesbitt. Jones is serving a life sentence. Special prosecutors for the York Commonwealth’s Attorneys Office appealed the decision a month later on the grounds that Smiley did not have the authority to commute Atkins’ sentence...continue to full post

Full post as published by Capital Defense Weekly on June 05, 2009 (boomark / email).