Sanity of Death Row Inmate Debated

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether to accept the case of a death row inmate who’s sanity has been questioned for the last decade and determine if he should be executed on Thursday.
 
Percy Walton was convicted of the 1996 murders of an elderly couple and a 33-year-old man. The victims were mugged and shot in the head.

According to defense attorney Nash Bilisoly, Walton’s mental state has increasingly deteriorated in the last 10 years and it would be unconstitutional to execute Walton based on his insanity.

In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to execute mentally retarded or insane convicted criminals. However, the Court left the definitions of insanity up to the states.

Walton’s attorney argues that state courts read the 1986 ruling too narrowly and permit executions of mentally sick inmates, which the Supreme Court intended to protect. Additionally, Bilisoly claims that Walton is schizophrenic and incapable of understanding what death means.

“He does not comprehend any of the significance of what’s going on,” Bilisoly said. “He’s so ill now that he just has no affect. He doesn’t have understanding, comprehension nor emotion.”

In 2003, Walton was temporarily relieved of his death sentence three days before his execution so that experts could analyze his mental health. Counselors and health specialists testified that Walton was psychotic and delusional.

However, U.S. District Judge Samuel Wilson ruled that despite Walton’s mental illness, he understood that his death sentence was a punishment for his crimes and was deemed competent. 

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