Brown v. Mississippi
Annotate this CaseA jury convicted Sherwood Brown of one count of capital murder and two counts of murder and sentenced him to death. The Court granted Brown’s successive petition for post-conviction relief and allowed Brown to proceed in the trial court on his claim that he was mentally retarded and exempt from execution. After a hearing, the trial court held that Brown had failed to prove by a preponderance of evidence that he was mentally retarded. Brown appealed. The Supreme Court affirmed, finding that the trial judge heard the testimony, considered the testimony and evidence presented, followed the applicable case law procedure, and applied the correct legal standard for determining whether Brown was mentally retarded. Giving deference to the trial judge as the finder of fact, the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's decision.
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