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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Ind. Decisions - Supreme Court sets Dec. 11, 2009 as execution date for Matthew Eric Wrinkles [Updated]

Updating this ILB entry from August 13, 2008, headed "7th Circuit rules in Indiana case where defendant wore stun-belt throughout trial," the Indiana Supreme Court today issued a 12-page, 4-1 order titled "Order concerning successive petition for post-conviction relief" in Wrinkles' case, plus an "Order setting date for execution of death sentence."

The Evansville Courier & Press has posted the two documents, plus a story:

The Indiana Supreme Court today set an execution date for Eric Wrinkles, the Evansville man convicted in the 1994 slayings of his estranged wife and two relatives.

Wrinkles will be executed before sunrise the morning of Dec. 11, according to an order filed today.

The Indiana Attorney General's Office notified the state Supreme Court in May that Wrinkles' federal appeals were exhausted when the U.S. Supreme Court on May 18 declined to hear his case.

Before setting the date, the Indiana Supreme Court first considered an additional appeal from Wrinkles regarding a 2002 opinion in which it ruled a stun belt he wore during his trial did not bias jurors.

That order, written by Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, states that Wrinkles did not "meet his burden of establishing a reasonable possibility that he is entitled to post-conviction relief." It leaves open the possibility for petitioning for rehearing, but says it should "not be sought if Wrinkles intends merely to raise the same arguments (the court) has already addressed."

[Updated Nov. 4, 2009] Here is an updated version of the C&S story, reported by Seth Grundhoefer.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 3, 2009 01:21 PM
Posted to Ind. Sup.Ct. Decisions