CT - Serial killer Michael Ross facing execution

mysteriew

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A fourth execution date has come and gone, and there is growing doubt the execution of serial killer Michael Ross will take place as scheduled at 9 p.m. Monday.

The most recent execution countdown ended abruptly early Saturday morning when Ross' lawyer, T.R. Paulding, said he needed time to explore a possible conflict of interest in his representation of Ross. He did not elaborate, but the decision came hours after the state's chief federal judge berated his course of action and advised him in the strongest of words to reconsider his efforts to help Ross "volunteer" to be executed
The most recent execution countdown ended abruptly early Saturday morning when Ross' lawyer, T.R. Paulding, said he needed time to explore a possible conflict of interest in his representation of Ross. He did not elaborate, but the decision came hours after the state's chief federal judge berated his course of action and advised him in the strongest of words to reconsider his efforts to help Ross "volunteer" to be executed.

If Paulding withdraws as counsel, lawyers say no execution could proceed - even if Ross wanted it to - until standby counsel could be appointed and become thoroughly versed in the frenzied events of the past two months.

Paulding, who now holds as much power as Ross does on whether the state's first execution in nearly 45 years goes forward, isn't revealing his game plan or his timetable for making a decision.

"I have been spending a good portion of the day getting opinions and advice, including from an ethical expert," was all Paulding would say Saturday. He did say he began reaching out to other lawyers for advice almost as soon as Friday afternoon's 55-minute teleconference involving Chief U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny, public defenders and private lawyers who worked to halt the execution and himself ended.

Paulding would not say how Ross reacted as the drama that would undermine the execution unfolded inside the walls of Osborn Correctional Institution, where Paulding had been given an office midday Friday. He was at the prison during the telephone conference, which began at 3 p.m. and ended at 3:55 p.m.

Among other things, Chatigny told Paulding:

"What you are doing is terribly, terribly wrong. No matter how well motivated you are, you have a client whose competence is in serious doubt and you don't know what you're talking about."

"I warn you, Mr. Paulding, between now and whatever happens Sunday night, you better be prepared to live with yourself for the rest of your life. And you better be prepared to deal with me if in the wake of this an investigation is conducted."

"So I don't know how anybody in your position honestly, Mr. Paulding, I do not know how anybody in your position could be accepting of this responsibility to proceed in the face of this record to be the proximate cause of this man's death. I put it to you, Mr. Paulding, I think you are way out on a limb."

Paulding's calls to experts Friday afternoon were made between visits with Ross and conversations with prosecutors. Paulding had intended to spend the afternoon filling in gaps in Ross' visiting schedule - prompted by the execution date postponements and uncertainty - and monitoring the countdown procedures.

The suspense of whether the execution would take place early Saturday morning at first focused more on deliberations by the U.S. Supreme Court whether to vacate a second order halting it. The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court earlier in the day dissolved a temporary restraining order issued by Chatigny, but issued a stay of its own.

Irregularities in the execution procedure were noted Friday night, but were chalked up to the ongoing deliberations by the nation's highest court. Reporters were not given information about Ross' last meal or his last day's activities.

Word that the U.S. Supreme Court had vacated the stay came just before 10 p.m. Friday, removing the last legal impediment to the execution. In four hours Ross would be dead, unless he suddenly changed his mind and decided to pursue appeals still available. The Paulding factor was unknown at this point, though transcripts of the telephone conference were circulating and raising questions
...................................................................................................................."We are absolutely determined to make the criminal justice system work," Blumenthal said. "There is a process and there is no rush to judgment. The process has to provide justice to all citizens, including and most importantly, the victims' families who have experienced unimaginable anguish and pain."

http://www.ctnow.com/news/custom/to...?coll=hc-headlines-topnews&ctrack=1&cset=true

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This guy has been tried and convicted for the murders of 8 women. He has been sitting on death row awaiting execution. Suddenly the "process" seems more important than the victims, the families, the trial, the conviction, or even more important than the sentence. Is it just me or is this wrong?
 
Jeana (DP) said:
No, believe me, its NOT just you. Everything is wrong with this case. :furious:

I agree. I live in Connecticut and it makes me sick how much the poor victims' families have to go through. I know it sounds like a cliche, but the victims didn't have a change to "make peace with God" and "know they were going to heaven". No, Michael Ross made the decision that they should die and when they should die. He has admitted guilt and waved his right to appeals. This execution should take place tonight at 9:01 pm but I doubt it...

Ross's Attorney Files for Delay in Execution

Which, of course, will have to be granted.

This makes me so mad... :furious:

Mare
 
I guess what ticked me off the most was that they actually had the family members together at a house on prison grounds, waiting to go to the prison to witness the execution. Then they cancel it. And talk about how important the "process" is and how important it is to give the families closure.
This is not a quick process. It has taken years to get him scheduled for execution. So finally they are going to do it, and then they come up with questions and cancel it After the families have dealt with all of the emotions that would come with the upcoming execution. While they are there waiting for the actual event. They cancel. And it all starts all over. This guy is not the first to say, OK let's go ahead and do it. And I notice that when the death row inmates do say it, it seems to actually slow the process. How long will it be for other death row inmates with nearing execution dates to pick up on the fact that if they say "do it" it will buy them more time?
There were murders, there was a trial, there was a conviction, there was a sentence, and there were appeals. So what questions are left?
 

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