Valle Appeals To U.S. Supreme Court For Execution Stay
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - A man convicted of killing a Coral Gables police officer in 1978 is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his Sept. 6 execution.
Lawyers for Manuel Valle filed papers Thursday with the high court arguing that his 33 years on death row amount to torture.
They contend that violates a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Valle was convicted of fatally shooting Gables officer Louis Pena during a traffic stop.
His attorneys blamed the state for delays that kept him on death row so long. That includes botching his first trial so a second was ordered.
They also argued Florida's standards for issuing death warrants are arbitrary and that Valle never received a clemency hearing.
Valle's warrant is the first signed by Gov. Rick Scott.
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