Exceeding the limits of decency: The legal proceedings
Overview
Gregory Thompson is a mentally ill, African-American man who is sentenced to die on August 19, 2004, for the 1985 murder of Brenda Lane, a white woman. The jury in Mr. Thompson’s case was entirely white, he was prosecuted by an assistant district attorney who reportedly said, “I hope they fry that nigger,” and he was sentenced to death after his defense attorneys “rebutted” the state’s evidence that he was mentally competent only with testimony from an industrial psychologist that Mr. Thompson would be a good worker in prison. In 2001, the State successfully argued that Mr. Thompson was so mentally ill that a conservator had to be appointed to make decisions about what medications he should be forced to take. Despite the fact that his mental state has deteriorated even further since that time, the State now contends that Mr. Thompson is sane enough to execute and should be denied a hearing to evaluate his competency before Tennessee courts.
Exceeding the limits of decency: The legal proceedings
- Overview
- Trial proceedings
- State court appeals
- Conservatorship proceedings
- Execution proceedings
- Competency proceedings
Supporters
International Justice Project
National Mental Health Association
Tennessee Black Caucus
Click here to sign the Electronic Petition for Clemency