Jury Recomends Death

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 4973

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jan 27 2012 1:19 AM

HOUSTON COUNTY:  A Houston County Jury returned a verdict of death in the sentencing phase of the Captial Murder case of Jerry Jerome Smith.

For a third time the court of appeals sent the Jackson case back for re-sentencing of Smith. Smith was convicted in a 1997 case of Capital Murder. The appeals court upheld the conviction but sent the case back for re-sentencing.

The trial before Judge Conaway only included evidence to sentence Smith for in the death. The jury of 6 men and 6 women, of which two were black males. returned the death sentence.

Judge Conaway set a April date to impose the actual sentence. Judge Conaway ordered Smith returned to the Alabama Department of Corrections until the official date of sentencing.

The murder case occured 16 years ago off Montgomery Highway near Tadlock Piano.

The sentence case was prosecuted by District Attorney Doug Valeska and Assistant District Attorney David Atwell. Attorney's David Hogg and Arron Gartlin were on the defense.

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