Entries tagged with “Billy Ray Waldon

Policy Issues

Human Rights

,

Mental Illness

,

Time on Death Row

,

Feb 02, 2023

California Supreme Court Grants New Trial in 30-Year-Old Death Penalty Case

The California Supreme Court grant­ed Nvwtohiyada Idehesdi Sequoyah (tried as and referred to in court doc­u­ments as Billy Ray Waldon) a new tri­al on January 23, 2023 after over­turn­ing his 1992 death sen­tence and con­vic­tion. Sequoyah was per­mit­ted to rep­re­sent him­self at tri­al despite strong evi­dence that he was incom­pe­tent to do so. The new rul­ing deter­mined that the tri­al court had failed to pro­tect a mentally ill…