[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----INDIANA

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 9


INDIANA:

Court Upholds Death Penalty For Man Who Killed Officer----Man Claimed Poor
Counsel Led To Sentence


The Indiana Supreme Court has again upheld the death penalty for Benjamin
Ritchie, who killed a Beech Grove police officer in 2000.

The high court on Thursday rejected Ritchie's claims that he received
ineffective legal counsel and a claim that jurors should not have seen
interviews he did with the media while he was shackled and wearing jail
clothing.

Ritchie is on death row for the September 2000 shooting death of Officer
William Toney.

He was convicted in 2002 after he admitted that he fired shots as he fled
from police in 2000.

In Indiana, death penalty cases are automatically reviewed by the Supreme
Court.

(source: IndyChannel.com)