Summary
A unanimous U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision overturning a 2013 order by District Judge Claudia Wilken. That order had blocked the fast-track process for federal appeals of state death penalty cases enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. The judge's ruling was based upon the claim of a group of government-paid defense attorneys that the process would work a hardship on them. Efforts by the states of Texas and Arizona to be approved for the fast-track process were stopped by Judge Wilken's ruling. When the U. S. Justice Department appealed that ruling, CJLF joined the case on behalf of two family members of murder victims, Marc Klaas of California and Edward Hardesty of Arizona. CJLF argued that the defense attorneys did not have a legal right (standing) to challenge the law and that it was not appropriate for the district court to review any challenge at this time. The Ninth Circuit opinion used argument and research introduced by the Foundation to overturn the ruling and dismiss the lawsuit.
