News - National
Utah inmate scheduled to die by firing squad
Posted: May 6, 2010 5:01 PM
Utah state attorneys say a condemned inmate cannot seek a stay of a warrant ordering his execution by firing squad next month.
In a court filing Thursday, Assistant Utah Attorney General Tom Brunker says state law only lets Ronnie Lee Gardner appeal his death sentence - not the order that carries out the punishment. The 49-year-old Gardner was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die in 1985. Last month, after determining state and federal appeals were exhausted, a state judge set execution for June 18.
Gardner's attorneys have sought a stay pending a Utah Supreme Court appeal. Gardner chose to die by firing squad, an option only available to death row inmates convicted before 2004.
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