Man convicted in Kay County murder is denied stay of execution
Ponca City Now - March 15, 2014 9:10 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court says it won’t rehear a request for a stay of execution from two death row inmates who want to know more about execution procedures.
The inmates wanted the court to grant stays rather than sending the case to a lower court.
The Court of Criminal Appeals said Friday both sides should present briefs before Monday, although two judges said Friday they would grant a 30-day stay immediately. Clayton Lockett is scheduled to be executed Thursday, and Charles Warner is to die March 27th.
On Thursday, the state’s highest court said requests for stays should be heard by the state Court of Criminal Appeals and the inmates’ lawsuit should be heard in state court. A hearing in state court is set for the day of Lockett’s execution.
Lockett was convicted and sentenced to death in the 1999 murder of Stephanie Nieman whose body was found in a shallow grave near Tonkawa.
