James D. Ford

State Urges Florida Supreme Court To Reject Murderer’s Appeal, Proceed With Execution

James D. Ford
James D. Ford

The Florida Attorney General’s Office is urging the state Supreme Court to dismiss arguments raised by condemned murderer James Ford and allow his scheduled execution on February 13th to proceed.

Ford’s attorneys recently filed a brief contending that executing Ford would be unconstitutional due to his “mental impairments,” claiming he had the mental and developmental age of a 14-year-old at the time of the murders. They are attempting to link Ford’s case to the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roper v. Simmons, which prohibits executing individuals who were under 18 at the time of their crimes.

READ: Attorneys Argue Execution Of Florida Inmate With “Mental Impairments” Would Be Unconstitutional

However, the Attorney General’s Office argues that Ford’s claim is “untimely” because his low mental and developmental age has been known since at least 1999. They also assert that Roper v. Simmons applies only to chronological age, not mental age.

“Claims attempting to expand the scope of Roper have been squarely rejected by this (Florida Supreme) Court,” state attorneys wrote in their response brief.

READ: 9/11 Family Members Slam New Ruling Clearing Way For Gitmo Terrorists To Dodge Execution

Ford’s attorneys are seeking a stay of execution and an evidentiary hearing in circuit court. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Ford’s death warrant on January 10th.

Ford was convicted of the brutal 1997 murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory at a Charlotte County sod farm. Court documents detail the gruesome nature of the crimes. Ford has previously pursued unsuccessful appeals in state and federal courts.

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