Pubdate: Wed, 26 Jul 2000
Source: Birmingham News (AL)
Copyright: 2000 The Birmingham News
Contact:  2200 4th Avenue North, Birmingham AL 35203
Fax: (205) 325-2283
Website: http://www.al.com/bhamnews/bham.html
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Author: Val Walton

COURT TO BE ASKED TO SPARE MAN CONVICTED UNDER KINGPIN LAW

An attorney for an Alabama man who was the first federal inmate to be
sentenced to death under a 1988 "drug kingpin" law will ask the
nation's highest court to spare his life.

Atlanta lawyer John R. "Jack" Martin said he will appeal to the
Supreme Court an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld
a death sentence for David Ronald Chandler.

The court July 21 ruled 6-5 that Chandler, who is on Death Row in
Terre Haute, Ind., received effective representation from his trial
attorney, Birmingham lawyer Drew Redden.

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"This seriously merits Supreme Court review," Martin
said.

Martin has 90 days to appeal.

Chandler, who lived in Piedmont and ran a marijuana ring, was
convicted May 14, 1991, and condemned to death for ordering the 1990
murder of police informant Marlin Shuler.

Chandler contends he is innocent, but could be the first person
executed in 37 years by the federal government. A date for his lethal
injection was earlier set for March 1995.

Chandler had exhausted direct appeals of his conviction. Instead, he
sought a new trial in 1998, claiming Redden did not represent him adequately.

A three-judge panel sided with Chandler late last month, overturning
his death sentence but upholding his conviction for arranging Shuler's
murder.

His ineffective counsel claim focused, in part, on Redden's calling
only two character witnesses - Chandler's mother and wife, who
testified only briefly at his sentencing. Martin had said he had no
trouble locating about 60 people to testify on Chandler's behalf.

But last week, the appellate court ruled against Chandler.

Martin said the decision is a "very extreme and novel interpretation"
of the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees criminal defendants
representation and the rights to confront their accusers and call
witnesses to their trials.
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