Ala. Supreme Court Asks Lower Court To Reconsider

Alabama Supreme Court has asked the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to take another look at the case of death row inmate Anthony Ray Hinton, convicted of killing two people during 1985 robberies at Birmingham fast food restaurants.

The 56-year-old Hinton had questioned the qualifications of a firearms expert who testified during the trial. The Supreme Court asked the appeals court to use a different standard when reviewing the trial judge's decision that the firearms expert was qualified.

The court ruled 7-0 to send the case back to the Court of Criminal Appeals. Justices Jim Main and Kelli Wise recused themselves because they were former criminal appeals court members. Justice Greg Shaw wrote he also was on the appeals court, but he said the issue was different then.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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Ryan Vasquez is a reporter and the former APR host of All Things Considered.