The tug of war continues over the fate of Alabama death row inmate Vernon Madison. An appellate court stopped tonight’s execution. That prompted the state of Alabama to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. APR’s Pat Duggins reports the case also involves part of Alabama’s legal system that remains controversial…
Vernon Madison is on Alabama’s death row after Mobile County Circuit Judge Ferrill McRae overrode the jury’s recommendation of life in prison. Alabama is the only state in the nation where a judge can do that. Madison was charged with the 1985 killing of a Mobile police officer who was responding to a domestic disturbance call.
Alabama appellate courts rejected his first two convictions because blacks were excluded from the jury, and improper testimony from an expert witness. It was following the third trial, that judge McRae sentenced Madison to death against the recommendation of the jury.
The issue before the courts this week is whether Madison is mentally competent to be executed.
Nearly three hundred green thumbs are gathering in Dothan over the next few days.
They are taking part in the annual Alabama Master Gardeners Association State Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Sculpting the Garden.” Kerry Smith is the state coordinator for the Alabama Extension System. She says there will be plenty going on to keep the gardeners busy…
“Lectures as well, everything from landscape design to historic gardens to tropical plants in the southeast, not just tours and workshops, a nice variety of topics that our master gardeners are interested in and can learn how to do things better when they get home.”
Smith says conferences like this help the master gardeners when they work with community projects. The conference takes place this weekend at the Dothan Civic Center.
If you are looking to attend one of Gulf Shore’s largest festivals, you might be out of luck.
Organizers for the Hangout Music Fest say tickets to the event have sold out.
General admission and VIP passes to the event May 20 through 22 were gone. Only $50 tickets to a kick-off party May 19 were still available.
Hangout organizers have an agreement with Gulf Shores city officials to limit attendance to 35,000 people.
The 2016 festival includes performances by Alabama Shakes, Lenny Kravitz, The Weeknd and Florence + The Machine.