Death Penalty Arguments Next Week

In a week with an exceptionally heavy oral argument calendar, four cases stand out for special attention by the Court:

1.  Monday afternoon, October 30, the Sixth Circuit will hear oral arguments on the appeal of a Kentucky inmate sentenced to death following his 1992 conviction on two counts of murder from the summary dismissal of his habeas corpus petition by Judge Reeves (E.D. Ky.) on Younger abstention grounds.  Bowling v. Haeberline, Case No. 03-5681, 2:00 p.m., Courtroom 636 (30 minutes per side).

2.  Tuesday afternoon, October 31, the Sixth Circuit will hear the appeal from the denial of habeas corpus by Judge Polster (N.D. Ohio) for an Ohio inmate sentenced to death following his 1987 three-judge conviction for aggravated murder.  Haliym v. Mitchell, Case No. 04-3207, 2:30 p.m., Courtroom 636 (30 minutes per side).

3.  Thursday afternoon, November 2, the Court will hear oral arguments in Bonnell v. Mitchell, Case No. 04-3301, 1:45 p.m., Courtroom 636 (30 minutes per side).  Petitioner, an Ohio inmate sentenced to death following his jury conviction for aggravated murder, appeals from the decision of Judge Katz (N.D. Ohio) denying his habeas corpus petition.

4.  Thursday afternoon, November 2, the Sixth Circuit hears argument in an appeal by a Tennessee inmate sentenced to death for first-degree murder whose request for habeas relief was denied by Judge McCalla (W.D. Tenn.) -- this case is on remand from the United States Supreme Court.  Cone v. Bell, Case No. 99-5279, 3:00 p.m., Courtroom 403 (30 minutes per side).