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Thread: Dustin John Higgs - Federal Execution - January 16, 2021

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  1. #1
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    Dustin John Higgs - Federal Execution - January 16, 2021




    Summary of Offense:

    Higgs was convicted in October 2000 of ordering the murder of three Maryland women after arguing with one of them in his apartment. Tanji Jackson, 21, Tamika Black, 19, and Mishann Chinn, 23, were shot to death at close range January 27, 1996, on federal land in Prince George's County by Willis Mark Haynes, who acted at Higgs' direction. Haynes was convicted in May 2000 and sentenced to life plus 45 years in prison. Higgs's case is the third death penalty prosecution in Maryland since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988, but marks the first time a jury has imposed the death penalty.

  2. #2
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    A 2255 (habeas corpus) motion for post-conviction relief is pending.

    Click on "Death Row" at

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v DUSTIN JOHN HIGGS

    In today's Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals opinions, the court AFFIRMED the district court’s order DENYING Higgs’s motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255.

    Petitioner was convicted of three counts each of first degree premeditated murder, first degree murder committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a kidnapping, and kidnapping resulting in death. The court granted a certificate of appealability to consider petitioner's claim that his constitutional rights to due process of law and effective assistance of counsel were violated by the introduction of Comparative Bullet Lead Analysis (CBLA). The court held that there was no reasonable probability that the district court would have excluded the CBLA testimony at petitioner's trial had it been challenged, or that the outcome of the guilt or sentencing phase would have been different had the CBLA evidence been excluded or subject to additional cross-examination. The court also held that petitioner failed to demonstrate that defense counsel was constitutionally ineffective for failing to file a motion for a new trial based upon the post-trial studies. Accordingly, the court affirmed the district court's order denying petitioner's motion under 28 U.S.C. 2255.

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    In today's US Supreme Court orders, Higgs' petition for certiorari was DENIED.

    Theoretically, Higgs' appeals are now exhausted. Unfortunately, litigation over the federal government's lethal-injection protocol has continued to be bogged down in the District of Columbia District Court since 2006.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/12-5075.htm

  5. #5
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    On August 16, 2016, Higgs filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/in...6cv00321/67636
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    An execution date has been requested by the United States Attorney of Maryland.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Mike; 11-19-2020 at 10:50 AM.
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

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    Senior Member Frequent Poster Shep3's Avatar
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    This one could be risky given that the 4th circuit is way to liberal but scotus hasn’t failed yet so I’m looking forward to it.

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