Entries tagged with “Darrell Draughn”

Apr 25, 2025

Premature Execution Warrants in Louisiana Deny Death-Sentenced Prisoners Due Process and Fair Consideration of Constitutional Claims

The Supreme Court has consistently held that “death is different”: the “qualitative difference between death and other penalties calls for a greater degree of reliability when the death sentence is imposed.” As a result, capital defendants pursue a series of mandatory and discretionary appeals to ensure that mistakes of constitutional significance are identified and corrected. However, death-sentenced prisoners in Louisiana recently argued that the state issued execution warrants before they…