From Rick Halperin
4th November

NORTH CAROLINA---impending execution

Judge, Easley to hear inmate's case---Lawyers say alternate juror had
improper input in '87 conviction


In Raleigh, a lawyer for a death row inmate scheduled to die Friday for a
1990 Edgecombe County slaying gets a chance today to persuade a judge and
the governor to call off his execution.

The defense lawyer for Joseph Timothy Keel, 39, said the primary issue in
those appeals will be whether an alternate juror improperly helped decide
a conviction.

"We certainly feel the juror claim is a fundamental flaw," said defense
lawyer Jay Ferguson.

The presiding judge, Superior Court Judge Frank Brown, removed himself
from hearing the case because the defense said it may call him as a
witness. Brown presided over the original trials. Judge William Griffin of
Martin County will conduct the hearing.

Ferguson raised the juror issue last week after researchers found that an
alternate juror in another Keel trial claimed to have taken part in
deliberations.

Keel was convicted in 1987 of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his
infant son. That conviction, for which Keel served prison time, was used
by prosecutors as the legal reason, or aggravating factor, to justify a
death sentence in Keel's trial for the 1990 slaying of his father-in-law.

1 of the 2 alternate jurors said in a sworn statement that both alternates
were in the jury room and offered their views on the 1987 case.

The hearing is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. in Tarboro, several hours
after lawyers for the defense and state present their cases to Gov. Mike
Easley at a clemency meeting. Easley has the authority to change the
sentence to life in prison.

Before the juror issue surfaced last week, Ferguson had planned to argue
to the governor that Keel was mentally retarded and shouldn't be executed.

Attorneys for the state say an alternate juror's participation in
deliberations would nullify the verdict. They deny that happened in Keel's
case.

Neither District Attorney Howard Boney nor Assistant District Attorney
Steve Graham was available for comment Monday

Oh god, I will be praying so hard for this man. Keep us updated Kris.

I WILL KYLA YOU KNOW I WILL

how on earth could this blunder have happen? The one and only trial I ever sat through, the alternate juror was released as soon as the case went to the jury. They were escorted out of the room before the jury was dismissed.

Lady Di
In my friends case in Florida, a juror couldnt make a decision, she was young. A pilot was the jury foreman, and he wanted to get out of there to get a 5pm flight. Anyway, they hounded this poor young lady (just turned 21) and gave my friend the DP in less than a hour of deliberations. She wrote to my friend, and she also made a statement for the court. No one cared though, its sad. She was really really pushing her point as well. She ended up a full on christian, cause she felt she had blood on her hands, the stuff that she wrote him was heartbreaking. Like quoting stuff from the bible cause she felt like she had commited a murder. Apparently she ended up taking her own life.

KYLA I JUST DONT GET PEOPLE SOMETIMES. PUSHING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A FLIGHT I MEAN COME ON A PERSONS LIFE IS MORE IMORTANT THAN ANY FLIGHT ANY APPOINTMENT. WE ARE GETTING CLOSE WITH TIMOTHY WE NEED TO KEEP PRAYING

I just dont think people have any consious anymore. Like this pilot obviously had money, didnt care what happened to my friend, and still probably doesnt. I could never make a decision about a persons life. If I was on the jury, and I thought a person was guilty of murder, I would have them there until they agreed with me for a life sentence, not a life.

I AGREE WITH YOU KYLA THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIT THERE WITH ME UNTIL THEY DECIDED ON LIFE IN PRISON I WILL NOT HAVE ANYONES BLOOD ON MY HANDS AND I DONT KNOW HOW THESE PEOPLE LIVE WITH THEIRSELVES

This makes a complete mochary of the law. How innane are these people who make up a jury of our peers?

Terri

Yep, thats is all crap, jury of peers. Terrence, Kris hubby didnt have a jury of peers AT all. When his defense tried to get him a new sentencing phase, the prosecution said it was a "harmless error" Like as if!!!!!!!!!Terrence is african american, and there was 1 african american on the whole jury.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT NOTHING IN THE SO CALLED JUSSTICE SYSTEM IS FAIR. THE REAL MURDERER IS WALKING THE STREETS AND THE BAD THING IS THEY KNOW WHO IT IS BUT THEY WOULD RATHER LEAVE TERRANCE IN THERE. WELL ILL BE DAMNED IF HE STAYS MUCH LONGER WE ARE GONNA GET HIM HOME