On March 3, 2014, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Hall v. Florida. In Atkins v. Virginia (2002), the Supreme Court ruled that the execution of the mentally retarded (now referred to as “intellectual disability) violated the Eighth Amendment. Atkins allowed the states to formulate their own definitions of intellectual disability.

Authorities are still looking for Marques Ivory, 23, who is wanted on a capital murder charge in connection to a fatal shooting in Eufaula that took place around 10:45 p.m. on January 30th.  The 20-year-old victim of the shooting, Darrian Scott, was taken by private vehicle to Medical Center Barbour and later transferred to Southeast

Kamaluddeen Raheem Russaw, 22, has been convicted by a Houston County jury on two attempted murder charges for his involvement in a shooting that took place at a graduation party last summer.  Circuit Court Judge Larry Anderson scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 11, 2014 after prosecutors asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed. 

In the 2014 Legislative session, Attorney General Luther Strange is trying to speed up the execution process, citing long delays for the families of victims.  House Bill 216 is the vehicle by which he is trying to accomplish that goal.  The bill would provide that the direct appeal in a death penalty case run simultaneously

Marcus Duval Dozier, 44, of Dothan, officially entered a guilty plea to cocaine trafficking charges today in court.  Assistant Houston County District Attorney Kristen Shields announced that as part of the plea deal, Dozier will accept a lifetime prison sentence which was handed down by Circuit Court Judge Brad Mendheim. The charges arose after Dozier

Jay Terrell Curry, 50, was arrested on December 31, 2013 and charged with felony first-degree assault after Dothan police say he stabbed another man with a serrated kitchen knife.  The charges against Curry have recently been upgraded to felony attempted murder after investigators conferred with the Houston County District Attorney’s Office.  If convicted of these

Derrick Timothy Lampley, 51, of North Oates Street, has been arrested and charged with burglarizing multiple businesses near downtown Dothan, including two law offices.  A police report shows that investigators arrested Lampley on December 20, 2013 and charged him with eight felony counts of third-degree burglary and 17 felony counts of fraudulent use of a

Darren Lee Brooker, 47, received five years’ probation from Circuit Judge Michael Conaway for a drug trafficking conviction.  The sentence is being referred to as a “reverse-split”, with Brooker serving the five years’ probation before a 5 year prison sentence.  However, the prison term could be suspended if Brooker “does well” while on probation. Investigators

Circuit Judge Michael Conaway has sentenced Devin Rashad Terry, 33, to a 46 month prison sentence for several felony charges in connection to his attempted theft of an ATM machine at a local Regions Bank branch in Dothan.  He will serve his prison term within the Houston County Community Corrections program for two felony counts

The Dothan Police Department has arrested and charged William LeVander Hunt following a recent investigation into an armed robbery that occurred at a local Hobo Pantry convenience store on December 8, 2013.   Hunt was taken to the Houston County Jail where he is being held on $250,000 bail.  If convicted of the felony A first-degree