Federal judge grants stay of execution to MD. death row inmate
/US
District Judge Peter Messitte has granted an indefinite stay of
execution to convicted murderer Stephen Howard Oken because Oken was
prejudiced by Maryland's "late, last-minute production" of its
execution procedures. Judge Messitte wrote that "fundamental fairness,
if not due process, requires that the execution protocol that will
regulate an inmate's death be forwarded to him in a prompt and timely
fashion." Judge Messitte gave the state 48 hours to turn over its
amended execution manual, which should have been made available to
Oken's attorneys in May. [more] and [more]
