Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has begun to seek the Louisiana Supreme Court’s review in five death row post-conviction relief cases. The death row inmates seeking relief are: Larry Roy (Rapides), Antoinette Frank (Orleans), Robert Miller (East Baton Rouge), Marcus Reed (Caddo), and David Bowie (East Baton Rouge). 

The Attorney General is asking the State Supreme Court to take all five and develop clear standards for post-conviction relief cases when an applicant waited decades to pursue relief, the relief was optional, and the state is substantially prejudiced by the delay. 

The Legislature has given clear direction for post-conviction relief that applies to all cases regardless of the sentence. Some district courts, however, have created special non-legislatively sanctioned exceptions in capital cases. The Attorney General has asked the Supreme Court to develop clear standards so that district courts apply the law uniformly across the state.  

Each of these criminals brutally murdered their victims, were convicted by a jury of their peers, sentenced to death by a judge, and received appellate review of that trial and sentence. The post-conviction relief procedure offers a convicted offender another opportunity to test constitutional defects in the conviction. It is a non-mandatory process, which can be waived.  In these five cases - and many others - the offenders failed to move their cases for many years and sometimes decades. Meanwhile, victims’ family members are left with the fear that the conviction might be vacated and the pain and trauma of waiting for finality for decades.  

“As I’ve said over and over, the family members of these victims deserve justice. It’s shameful they wait decades to see justice carried out. It serves no valid purpose. I made a promise to the citizens of Louisiana that we would finally put victims first. I will carry out that promise. I’m hopeful that the Louisiana Supreme Court will grant review to give clear direction to lower courts and we can finally move these cases forward,” said Attorney General Murrill.

The writ in the case involving Larry Roy was filed June 13 and the writ for Antoinette Frank filed June 17. Writs are due June 23 for David Miller and June 30 for both David Bowie and Marcus Reed. 

General Murrill is hopeful the Louisiana Supreme Court grants review in all five cases and issues an opinion with clear standards to help district courts across the State move these cases efficiently and expeditiously.

Click here for the writ for Frank.

Click here for the writ for Roy.