Oklahoma judge halts execution of man amid clemency hearing dispute

In Oklahoma, an imminent execution was paused when an Oklahoma judge issued a temporary stay on Monday, affecting John Fitzgerald Hanson, who had been scheduled for lethal injection on the upcoming Thursday. This decision arises from concerns raised by Hanson's legal team regarding the fairness of his clemency hearing that took place the previous month. The attorneys argued that one board member's potential bias compromised the integrity of the proceedings. Sean Malloy, a member of the Pardon and Parole Board who had affiliations with the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office during Hanson's prosecution, participated in the clemency process even though he claimed to be unaware of Hanson's specific case. The board's vote to deny clemency was split 3-2. Hanson's legal representation, led by Emma Rolls, emphasized the importance of due process for death row inmates, advocating for equitable treatment under Oklahoma's executive clemency regulations. The state Attorney General Gentner Drummond contended that the district judge lacks the authority to grant a stay and is seeking to have the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals reverse this decision. The complexity of Hanson's case is underscored by his history; after being convicted of carjacking, kidnapping, and murdering Mary Bowles in 1999, he was transferred to death row following an expedited process initiated by the Trump administration. Notably, prior to his transfer, Hanson had been serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Louisiana, with convictions marking him as a career criminal, which further complicates the legal narrative surrounding his death sentence.