US Supreme Court to decide whether man can be executed after lawyer missed paperwork deadline

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether a convicted man can be executed after his lawyers missed a paperwork deadline in the appeals process. The court agreed on Monday to hear an appeal from Cory Maples. He is on death row on a murder conviction after his trial lawyers allegedly...

2011-03-21 10:56:11 Brandon Sun

MASHEL'S VIEW: Let's hope the Court rejects the "form over substance" than filing deadlines must be rigidly even in a case where a person's life hangs in the balance.  Not to be flippant, but a legal malpractice case against an attorney who fails to meet deadlines appealing a death conviction cannot be brought from the grave.