Dylann Roof appeals death penalty, conviction in Emanuel AME mass shooting
man convicted of killing 9 church members at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charelston files for an appeal
Charleston, S.C., shooting suspect Dylann Storm Roof, center, is escorted from the Sheby Police Department in Shelby, N.C., June 18, 2015. Chuck Burton/AP Photo
Columbia, SC (AP) — The self admitted white supremacist who was convicted in one of the worst mass shootings in South Carolina history is fighting his guilty verdict and his sentence of death.
According to the Associated Press, 25 year old Dylann Roof has entered an appeal for both his conviction and death penalty for the shooting nine members of Charleston’s Mother Emanuel AME church as they worshiped during bible study back in June of 2015.
According to authorities, Roof sat inside the church with parishioners for nearly an hour before opening fire in the sanctuary, according to him, in an effort to begin a race war.
Tuesday, in Richmond, Virginia Federal Court, Roof argued that while he was defending himself during his Capital trial he was suffering from schizophrenia and other psychological disorders. Information he refused to let his defense team presented to the jury during the trial.
In fact, his legal team wanted to release information about Roof’s mental health, they believe could have spared him from the death penalty. Roof however, at the time, asked the jury to not to take anything they heard from his legal advisers into consideration saying, “there’s nothing wrong with me psychologically.”
According to Roof’s appellate lawyers who issued a 321 page legal brief filed in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court Tuesday, asking the court to review 20 issues, including errors they say were made by the judge and prosecutors they say “tainted” his sentencing. Appellate lawyers arguing,
“the federal trial shouldn’t have happened at all.” They went on to say, the state quickly brought capital charges against Roof’s “wholly-intrastate crime,” but months later, federal prosecutors sought their own death sentence. They argue that state officials “viewed the federal prosecution as unnecessary and disruptive. and said “This court should vacate Roof’s convictions and death sentence,”
During Roof’s federal case, he was found guilty on 33 federal charges including hate crimes and sentenced to nine life sentences.
