Louisiana v. Clark
Annotate this CaseAfter his second trial, appellant Jeffrey Clark was found guilty of the 1999 first degree murder of Captain David Knapps during a failed attempt to escape from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where appellant was serving a life sentence for first degree murder. Appellant’s first trial ended in a mistrial after opening statements in the guilt phase because the prosecution informed the jury that appellant was already serving a life sentence. Following his second trial, appellant was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death. Appellant’s conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari and remanded for further consideration in light of McCoy v. Louisiana, 584 U.S. —, 138 S.Ct. 1500, — L.Ed.2d — (2018). With the benefit of additional briefing and oral argument, and after further consideration, the Louisiana Supreme Court again affirmed appellant’s conviction and sentence.
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