The U.S. Supreme Court says it won鈥檛 hear a challenge to Ohio鈥檚 death penalty law in a case involving a convicted murderer and rapist from Marion.
The Supreme Court chose not to review that upheld the death sentence for 54-year old Maurice Mason. Mason鈥檚 team claimed Ohio鈥檚 death penalty law had the same problems as Florida鈥檚, which the high court had ruled unconstitutional.
Kort Gatterdam is Mason鈥檚 attorney, and he鈥檚 disappointed but not dissuaded. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e finding Ohio鈥檚 death penalty statute is constitutional. There may be another case down the road where they choose to hear this issue," Gatterdam said.
The US Supreme Court said the Florida law was unconstitutional because it gave judges too much authority to impose the death penalty. Ohio鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled that though a judge sentences someone to death in Ohio, that authority comes directly from the jury.
