Death Penalty Upheld for Dylann Roof in Charleston Church Murders
Dylann Roof, the individual that shot and killed nine Black churchgoers at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, will continue to await his execution. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction and death sentence on August 25, 2021.
Roof was sentenced to death in 2017, making him the first individual to be handed the death penalty for a federal hate crime. His appellate lawyers argued Roof should have been deemed incompetent to stand trial, where he represented himself for sentencing and actively sought to exclude evidence about his mental health based on a “delusional belief” that “he would be rescued from prison by white-nationalists—but only, bizarrely, if he kept his mental-impairments out of the public record.” The 4th Circuit rejected the argument that his convictions and sentence should be vacated, or that the case should be remanded to the trial court for further competency assessments.
Currently, there is a moratorium on all federal executions while the Justice Department revisits its existing policies and procedures for implementing the death penalty. California has a similar moratorium on capital punishment and has not executed anyone since 2006.
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David P. Shapiro, the managing partner and founder of a leading San Diego criminal defense firm, is driven by an unwavering commitment to providing the best possible representation to his clients facing criminal charges. With a deep understanding of the fear, uncertainty, and concern for one’s future that his clients experience, David approaches each case with empathy and dedication, advocating tirelessly for their rights and freedoms.
Focused on complex and high-stakes cases, David handles a wide range of serious charges, including felonies, violent crimes, sex crimes, drug offenses, and white-collar crimes. Since establishing his practice in 2010, David has earned a reputation as one of San Diego’s most respected criminal defense attorneys.
His firm has been recognized by LawFirm500 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing law firms and was a 2022 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics Winner. The San Diego Business Journal named David’s firm the 17th Fastest Growing Private Company in San Diego from 2019-2021 and recognized David as one of San Diego’s 500 Most Influential People in 2022. With a strong dedication to his clients and community, David continues to be a driving force in the San Diego legal landscape.
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