WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsNew trial granted to death row inmate
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Associated Press - March 12, 2010 10:25 AM ET
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - An appeals court has granted a new trial to a Memphis man convicted and sentenced to die in the fatal shooting of an off-duty city police officer.
Timothy McKinney was convicted in the Dec. 26, 1997, mortal shooting of officer Don Williams, who was moonlighting as a security guard at Crumpy's Comedy Club. Williams died of complications of the shooting a month later.
The Commercial Appeal reported on Friday that a Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals panel granted a new trial, ruling McKinney's lawyers did a poor job of representing him.
The three-judge panel said the trial lawyers presented such a weak defense that McKinney's constitutional right to competent counsel was violated.
State prosecutors haven't said if they plan to appeal the ruling to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com
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