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Michael Execution on Hold, But State Files Emergency Appeal

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The legal wrangling isn’t over yet in tonight’s scheduled execution of Hubert Michael Junior. Earlier today, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of execution.  But the State Attorney General’s office has filed an emergency appeal with the U. S. Supreme Court in an effort to overturn the stay. The death warrant is still valid until midnight if the high court intervenes.

Michael was sentenced to die by lethal injection for the 1993 murder of 16-year-old Trista Eng in York County.  He arrived at Rockview State Prison this morning. Prison officials say he has been quiet and polite.

If the execution were to be carried out, Michael would be the first death row inmate to die by lethal injection since 1999.

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 09.28.12

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul update you on the stay of execution issued Friday for convicted killer Terrance Williams, who was scheduled to die by lethal injection at Rockview State Prison on Wednesday of the coming week. Former Radio PA Roundtable host Robert Lang (now of WBAL radio in Baltimore) joins the discussion and provides insight as a media witness to three executions in his career.

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable09-28-12.mp3]

Williams Execution Scheduled for Wednesday

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Pennsylvania may issue its first lethal injection in 13 years next week. Condemned killer Terrance Williams is scheduled to be executed at Rockview State Prison in Centre County at 7:00pm on October 3rd. Williams was convicted for two murders in the 1980s and has exhausted most of his appeals.

A stay or temporary reprieve is still possible before Wednesday’s scheduled execution, either from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, which is meeting today, or from a Philadelphia judge who is currently considering new information in the case and could issue a stay on Friday.

Pennsylvania has not executed a death row inmate since “House of Horrors” killer Gary Heidnik was put to death in 1999. He is one of only three inmates to receive a lethal injection since the death penalty was reinstated in Pennsylvania in 1978. Leon Moser and Keith Zettlemoyer were also put to death in PA in 1995, but all three had waived their rights to certain appeals. Williams would be the first person executed against his will since the reinstatement 34 years ago.