South Carolina's Supreme Court has scheduled the execution of Richard Moore for November 1, marking the second of six expected executions in a six-month period, following a 13-year hiatus from capital punishment in the state. Moore was convicted of killing a store clerk, James Mahoney, during a 1999 robbery in Spartanburg County. His defense team argues that his execution would be an "arbitrary act of vengeance" due to racial discrimination, as Moore, who is Black, was judged by an all-white jury.
The state, once active in executions, faced obstacles due to issues in acquiring lethal injection drugs. New legislation that protects supplier anonymity has enabled executions to resume. The choice of execution method – lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad – is available to Moore, with the default being electrocution. He previously selected a firing squad but that option was delayed by legal battles. The prisons director must assure the methods' availability by next week.
Moore plans to request clemency from Governor Henry McMaster, though no governor has granted it in South Carolina's modern death penalty era. Defense lawyers are pursuing appeals, citing unfair jury selection processes. Moore, 59, has maintained his intentions were not to kill, emphasizing a self-defense claim. South Carolina has executed 44 inmates since reintroducing the death penalty in 1976. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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