A judge in Georgia spared a man who murdered two women from execution after his lawyer argued he was entitled to another hearing as a survivor of childhood abuse.
asserted
he → spar → abuse
Stacey Humphreys, 53, may dodge the death sentence after a new state law may allow him a hearing to argue if his crimes were connected to abuse he allegedly suffered as a child.
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he → dodge → child
Humphreys was sentenced to death for the 2003 killings of Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21, in the suburbs of Atlanta.
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Humphreys → sentence → Atlanta
He was set to be executed by lethal injection at 7pm ET at a state prison near Jackson on Wednesday.
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He → set → Wednesday
On Tuesday, attorney Brian Kammer argued to Cobb County Superior Court Judge Tyler Browning that Humphreys was a survivor of severe family violence and childhood abuse.
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Humphreys → argue → violence
According to Kammer, his client was 'severely damaged by this abuse and violence and it contributed significantly to his criminal behavior.'
Browning issued a stay of execution on Tuesday, allowing for a hearing in line with the Georgia Survivor Justice Act which allows those incarcerated to receive shorter penalties if they can prove their abuse contributed to their criminal behavior.
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abuse → accord → behavior
Mr Humphreys endured years of arbitrary beatings,' Kammer told Browning, WSB-TV reported.
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TV → endure → Browning
Stacey Humphreys, 53, may dodge the death sentence after a new state law may allow him a hearing to argue if his crimes were connected to abuse he allegedly suffered as a child
Hupmhreys was set to be executed by lethal injection at 7pm ET at a state prison near Jackson on Wednesday before Cobb County Superior Court Judge Tyler Browning ordered a stay of execution on Tuesday
Humphreys was sentenced to death for the 2003 killings of Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21, in the suburbs of Atlanta
Humphreys was beaten and whipped for years and suffered a skull fracture at age three that went untreated, Kammer said.
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Kammer → dodge → age
His attorney added that Humphreys was also sexually abused, beaten, burned with cigarettes and routinely exposed to drug and alcohol abuse as well as domestic violence.
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Humphreys → add → abuse
'These folks are abused, harmed as children; as young people, and it's coming out in criminal behavior,' he said.
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he → abuse → behavior
Experts testified that those abuses 'did severe damage to [Humphreys] mental health' and 'helped bring about the criminal behavior that brought Mr Humphreys to his capital trial,' Kammer told Browning.
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Kammer → testify → Browning
The judge wrote that if an appellate court ruled before Humphreys' scheduled execution that he wasn't entitled to a hearing, he would consider lifting the stay for his death to proceed as scheduled.
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death → write → stay
On Wednesday, the Georgia Supreme Court allowed Humphreys' stay of execution while the state's appeal moves forward.
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appeal → allow → execution
'Given the important and novel questions regarding the newly enacted SJA raised by this litigation, this appeal will be considered in the ordinary course of business and according to a forthcoming scheduling order,' the Supreme Court said in a statement.
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Court → give → statement
'Our focus continues to be on the victims and their loved ones, giving them support and encouragement they need,' the District Attorney's Office said in a statement to WSB-TV.
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Office → continue → TV
Attorneys are asking for Humphreys' sentence be reduced to life in prison, according to the outlet.
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sentence → ask → outlet
Humphreys' attorney Brian Kammer, his client was 'severely damaged by this abuse and violence and it contributed significantly to his criminal behavior'
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it → damage → behavior
Sabrina Graham, a lawyer with the attorney general's office, said nothing in the law was applicable to reducing Humphreys sentence as requested
Kammer said that Humphreys' case 'really fits the bill' of the Survivor Justice Act.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Graham, a lawyer with the attorney general's office, said nothing in the law was applicable to reducing Humphreys sentence as requested.
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nothing → say → sentence
Graham argued that the Survivor Act was intended 'for people who were the subject of abuse by the victims that they harmed.
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they → argue → that
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'There’s nothing in the statute that says it applies to death row inmates,' she said.
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she → ’ → inmates
'There’s nothing in the statute that even remotely suggests that.'
Should the law apply to a case such as Humphreys, Graham worried that it would 'open up this door for all these people to come along and essentially get another bite at the apple and ask a trial court to serve essentially as the Board of Pardons and Paroles and commute a death sentence.
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people → ’ → sentence
Humphreys was denied clemency on Tuesday by a parole board.
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Humphreys → deny → board
The two women were working as real estate agents in Powder Springs when Humphreys walked into their office in a model home at around midday on November 3, 2003.
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Humphreys → work → November
Humphreys had ordered Williams and Brown to strip naked and tell him their bank PINs before he fatally shot them both, evidence given at his trial determined.
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evidence → order → trial
The new law was signed this year by Governor Brian Kemp and was intended to help survivors of domestic or child abuse
Over $3,000 was withdrawn from the women's bank accounts by Humphreys, according to court documents.
Humphreys told police upon his arrest that he needed the money to pay off his truck after he had taken out some high-interest payday loans.
The new law was signed this year by Governor Brian Kemp and was intended to help survivors of domestic or child abuse.
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law → sign → abuse
The Daily Mail reached out to Kammer and the Attorney General's Office for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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