"I cannot proceed in good conscience with the execution of Mr. Burton under such disparate circumstances. I believe it would be unjust for one participant in this crime to be executed while the participant who pulled the trigger was not."
"Burton was sentenced to death for the shooting death of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building. The shooter's death sentence was later reduced on appeal to life imprisonment."
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of 75-year-old Charles "Sonny" Burton to life without parole. Burton was convicted for a 1991 shooting death during a robbery, but he was not in the building when the victim was killed. Another man fired the fatal shot and later had his death sentence reduced to life imprisonment on appeal. Governor Ivey stated she could not proceed with Burton's execution in good conscience, citing the unjust disparity of executing one participant while the actual shooter received a lesser sentence.
#death-penalty-commutation #criminal-justice-disparity #alabama-governor-decision #capital-punishment
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