South Carolina justices refuse to stop state’s first execution in 13 years

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court has refused to stop the execution of Freddie Owens. The 46-year-old inmate is set to die by lethal injection next week in the state’s first execution in 13 years. The justices unanimously tossed out two requests from defense lawyers. Defense lawyers said a court needed to hear new information about what they called a secret deal that kept a co-defendant off death row or from serving life in prison. They also said a juror correctly surmised Owens was wearing a stun belt at his 1999 trial. But the justices ruled the new information didn’t reach the exceptional circumstances needed to allow Owens another appeal.