Arkansas Supreme Court Issues Stay of Execution for Stacey Johnson for DNA Testing

04.20.17 By Innocence Staff

Stacey Johnson (right) and his wife Judy.

Stacey Johnson (right) and his wife Judy.

(Little Rock, AR – April 19, 2017) Arkansas Supreme Court issued a stay of execution for Innocence Project and Jeff Rosenzweig client Stacey Johnson. By a 4-3 vote, the Court ruled that Mr. Johnson has the right to a full evidentiary hearing on his request for DNA testing to prove his innocence.

Statement by Innocence Project Senior Staff Attorney Nina Morrison, co-counsel for Arkansas’ Ledell Lee, regarding stay of execution granted to Innocence Project client Stacey Johnson and pending motion for stay for Lee:

We are grateful and relieved that the Arkansas Supreme Court has issued a stay of execution for Innocence Project and Jeff Rosenzweig client Stacey Johnson. By a 4-3 vote, the Court ruled that Mr. Johnson has the right to a full evidentiary hearing on his request for DNA testing to prove his innocence. The Court’s action stays his execution which had been scheduled for 7 pm on April 20 (tomorrow).

As in Johnson’s case, the Innocence Project and our co-counsel at the ACLU filed a request with the Arkansas Supreme Court this morning on behalf of our client Ledell Lee seeking DNA testing, which is still pending. Mr. Lee is scheduled to be executed tomorrow evening unless the Arkansas court grants the stay.  As we argued in our brief, there is a significant amount of DNA evidence that has never been tested which could exonerate Mr. Lee and identify the real perpetrator of the crime. 

Because he, like Stacey Johnson, has never gotten a hearing on his DNA petition, and has maintained his innocence for over two decades, we are hopeful that the Arkansas Supreme Court will also grant him a stay and give him a hearing on the DNA evidence.

Related: Ledell Lee Asks Arkansas Supreme Court for Stay of Execution

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Dwayne Smith January 7, 2019 at 9:15 pm Reply   

They denied it new information has been released

Marcus Thomas May 30, 2018 at 4:36 am Reply   

Basically the system is setup to generate money so owners in private sectors get rich through slavery and if can make money longer on the prisoners accord ,prove their system work with a satisfactory kill they feel who cares the slave owner killed lots of slaves to prove a point, (Wake up) America it don’t matter what race you are we are in slavery mentally look at credit, money trail how things are going up but pay not, Jackal island his life means nothing everyone pays a price in their eyes but them ( America Rise)

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