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Lawyer: Missing signature shouldn't end death penalty appeal

Posted January 12, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Attorneys for a Gary man sentenced to death for killing his wife and two stepchildren are urging the Indiana Supreme Court to look past his refusal to sign documents and allow him to pursue additional legal steps.

Anne Kaiser says Kevin Isom shouldn't be put on a faster path to execution "because of a missing signature." The court heard arguments Thursday.

The Supreme Court has upheld Isom's conviction and sentence in the 2007 fatal shootings. But there are paths for further legal action in a death penalty case. Attorneys say his trial lawyers didn't present enough evidence about his mental health during the penalty phase of the trial.

Kaiser believes Isom's mental health is preventing him from fully understanding the consequences of declining to sign documents.

Justice Steven David says it's not the court's role to solve a conflict between Isom and his lawyers.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com

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