Ariz., Texas Lose Death Penalty Appeals

[Eugene]

Ariz., Texas Lose Death Penalty Appeals

Friday, June 30, 2006

(06-30) 07:46 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Texas and Arizona lost Supreme Court appeals on Friday in separate death penalty cases.
Justices refused without comment to consider reinstating the death sentence of Gregory
Russeau in the murder of an elderly auto mechanic during a robbery in Texas.

They also refused to overturn an appeals court decision that gave Robert Moormann a chance
to pursue an appeal for his conviction in the death of his adoptive mother in Arizona.

The cases were among more than 50 that were acted on by the court on Friday, a day after
justices were on the bench for the last time. Justices return to the bench in October.

A Texas court had said that Russeau's Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against
him had been violated during the penalty phase of his trial. He was convicted in the 2001
death of 75-year-old James Syvertson.

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Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/06/30/national/w074600D82.DTL