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Thread: Donald Herb Johnson - Kentucky Death Row

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    Donald Herb Johnson - Kentucky Death Row


    Donald Herb Johnson


    Facts of the Crime:

    Was sentenced to death on October 1, 1997 in Floyd County for the stabbing death of Helen Madden. Ms. Madden’s body was found on November 30, 1989 at the Bright and Clean Laundry in Hazard where she was employed. It was determined that she had also been sexually assaulted. Johnson was arrested on December 1, 1989 and charged with murder, robbery and burglary. The charge of first-degree sexual assault was added later.

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    No. 03-6036 *** CAPITAL CASE ***
    Title:
    Donald Herb Johnson, Petitioner
    v.
    Kentucky
    Docketed: August 25, 2003
    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Kentucky
    Case Nos.: (1997-SC-0842-MR, 2001-SC-08030-MR)
    Decision Date: May 22, 2003

    ~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Aug 19 2003 Petition for writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due September 24, 2003)
    Sep 24 2003 Brief of respondent Kentucky in opposition filed. (PRINTED BRIEF)
    Oct 9 2003 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of October 31, 2003.
    Nov 3 2003 Petition DENIED.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/03-6036.htm

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Ky high court upholds death sentence, finds inmate wasn't coerced into guilty plea

    The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of an eastern Kentucky man convicted of robbing, sexually assaulting and killing a woman at a coin laundry business 24 years ago.

    The justices concluded that 46-year-old Donald Herb Johnson was not coerced into entering an unconditional guilty plea to killing Helen Madden in November 1989 at the Bright and Clean Laundry in Hazard.

    After being sentenced to death, Johnson claimed a judge urged him to enter the unconditional plea, which left open the prospect of a death sentence. Johnson also claimed his lawyers threatened to quit if he didn't plead guilty.

    Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Mary Noble said there's no evidence to back Johnson's claim of being coerced.

    http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...th-Row-Johnson
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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On July 22, 2014, Johnson filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    http://dockets.justia.com/docket/ken...4cv00117/76091

  5. #5
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Article

    Condemned Kentucky inmate seeks new trial

    A death row inmate from eastern Kentucky has asked a federal judge to throw out is conviction and sentence, saying a judge erred in accepting his guilty plea.

    In a petition filed in federal court in Lexington, 47-year-old Donald Herb Johnson says a judge in Floyd County didn’t recount all the rights he’d be giving up by admitting to stabbing Helen Madden to death on Oct. 30, 1989. Johnson also claims he may not have been competent at the time to enter the plea.

    Madden was attacked at the Bright and Clean Laundry in Hazard where she worked. Johnson entered the guilty plea on Oct. 1, 1997.

    Johnson’s attorneys claim their client wasn’t properly medicated as recommended by a psychologist in 1994. The attorneys said Johnson abruptly ended interviews with the doctor several times. After being medicated, Johnson later said he stopped talking about Madden’s death because “he had been told not to by ‘the voices’.”

    “I would never have pled guilty if I had known I could defend against this case based on sanity. If I had known there was a psychologist willing to say I was insane, I would have insisted on going to trial,” Johnson said in an affidavit.

    Kentucky is currently under a court order suspending all executions in the state. A judge in Frankfort is planning to hold a trial about how the state evaluates the mental capacity of condemned inmates in the days leading up to an execution.

    Kentucky has executed three people since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

    http://www.dailyindependent.com/loca...eeks-new-trial
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    Johnson’s habeas petition was denied by the federal district court on August 8, 2022.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/ke...4cv00117/76091
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    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    On April 17, 2023, Johnson filed an appeal to the Sixth Circuit.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/ci...ts/ca6/23-5330
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

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