The Supreme Court of Arkansas has affirmed the reversal of the death penalty sentence given to Kenneth Reams, whose conviction for a robbery-turned-murder in 1993 has been closely followed by national media. The team representing Mr. Reams for more than two decades is led by Squire Patton Boggs of counsel and director of the firm’s Public Service Initiative (PSI) George Kendall, with co-counsel from the NAACP LDF.
In a 5-2 decision, the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision to vacate Mr. Reams’ death sentence, citing he was denied a fair sentencing determination due to ineffective counsel during the penalty phase of his trial. Significant to the case, the court also agreed with PSI’s argument that the purposeful manipulation of the jury panels to decrease minority juror participation constituted structural error – a ruling only a handful of courts have held. The case has been returned to circuit court for further proceedings.
In addition to Mr. Kendall, the PSI team includes Corrine Irish, who played an essential role in winning relief from the post-conviction court.