국제앰네스티는 새 보고서를 통해 미국의 미주리주 당국에 17년동안 사형수로 수감돼있던 레기날드 클레몬스(Reginald Clemons)의 감형을 요청했다.
이 보고서는 1991년 두 자매를 익사시킨혐의를 받은 클레몬스의 기소과정에 의혹을 제기하면서, 검사의 위법 행위, 경찰의 폭행 혐의, 편파적인 배심원 선정, 효과적이지 못했던 변호인단 등을 제시하였다.
2002년, 미 연방 판사는 재판에서 배심원들이 부당히 제외됐다는 점을 근거로 클레몬스가 재심을 받거나 무기징역으로 감형돼야 한다는 판결을 내렸으나, 항소법원은 이 판결이 적절한 절차적 과정을 거치지 않았다며 이를 번복했다. 또 항소법원은 재판 중 검사의 행동이 “전문가답지 않았고, 폭력적이며 부적절했다”는 것에 대해서는 모두 동의했지만, 이것이 판결에 영향을 끼치지는 않았다고 결정했다.
미주리 대법원의 주판사가 유죄판결의 신뢰성과 형벌의 비례성에 대한 문제를 검토함으로써 레기날드 클레몬스의 사형집행은 현재 보류 중이다. 국제앰네스티는 이를 긍정적인 조치로 환영함과 동시에 미주리 주당국의 관대적 처분을 요구하고 있다.
Missouri authoritiesmust preventexecution of deathrow prisoner
14 May 2010
Authorities in theUS state of Missourishould commute thedeath sentence ofReginald Clemons,who has been ondeath row for 17years, AmnestyInternational urgesin a new report.
The reporthighlightsdisturbing aspectsin the prosecutionof Reginald Clemonsfor the drowningdeaths of twosisters in 1991.These concernsinclude misconductby the prosecutor,alleged policebrutality,prejudicial juryselection andineffective legalcounsel.
The report alsosuggests that racewas an issue at thetrial becauseAfrican Americansweredisproportionatelyexcluded from thejury. ReginaldClemons is black.The two victims werewhite. Two otherblack co-defendantswere sentenced todeath. One has beenexecuted. The other,16 years old at thetime of the crime,had his sentencecommitted to lifeimprisonment.
A white co-defendantpled guilty inexchange for aprison sentence andtestimony againstthe three AfricanAmerican youths. Hehas since beenreleased. Anotherkey witness againstReginald Clemons wasa cousin of the twomurder victims. Hewas the initialsuspect in the case.Charges against himwere dropped, and helater received asubstantial sum ofmoney to settle alawsuit he broughtagainst theauthorities claiminghe was beaten duringpoliceinterrogation. Reginald Clemonsalleged that he toowas beaten by thesame officers intoimplicating himselfin the crime.
The prosecutionconceded thatClemons neitherkilled the sisters –Julie and RobinKerry – nor plannedthe crime. He wastried and convictedas an accomplice.
A federal judgeruled in 2002 thatas a result of theimproper exclusionof jurors at thetrial ReginaldClemons shouldreceive a newsentencing hearingor have his deathsentence reduced tolife imprisonment.However, athree-judge panel ofthe Court of Appealsoverturned thisdecision on thetechnical groundsthat the claim hadbeen “procedurallydefaulted”, that is,had not beenproperly preservedfor federal judicialreview. At the sametime, all fourjudges agreed thatthe prosecutor’sconduct at trial hadbeen“unprofessional”,“abusive andboorish”, butdecided that thisimproper conduct hadnot prejudiced theoutcome of thetrial.
Reginald Clemons’execution is on holdwhile a state judgeassigned by theMissouri SupremeCourt examinesquestions that havebeen raised aboutthe reliability ofthe conviction andthe proportionalityof the sentence. While AmnestyInternational haswelcomed this as apositive step, theorganization isurging the stateauthorities to grantclemency now.
