Convicted Arizona murderer at center of landmark death penalty decision wants new trial
By APSaturday, July 17, 2010
Man moved off Arizona death row seeks new trial
PHOENIX — A convicted murderer whose death penalty was reduced to life in prison as a result of a landmark court decision is asking for a new trial.
Timothy Ring was at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2002 that overturned his death sentence and concluded that juries, not judges, should decide whether there are circumstances that compel a murderer to be sentenced to death.
He was convicted in the 1994 murder of an armored-car driver during a robbery at a Phoenix mall.
Ring is asking for a new trial under a claim that his original legal defense was ineffective.
A judge will decide whether he gets a new trial.
If a new jury finds him not guilty, Ring could walk free.
If found guilty, he could end up back on death row.
Information from: The Arizona Republic, www.azcentral.com
