Tennessee Supreme Court Halts Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman Execution

The Tennessee Supreme Court has stayed the April 16 execution of Nashville death row prisoner Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman, halting what would have been the state's seventh execution since August 2018. 

It's a significant step from a court that has declined to intervene in six recent executions. But Abdur'Rahman's case is unique. The stay comes in the middle of an extraordinary legal battle in which Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is fighting to reverse the decision of Nashville Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins, who vacated Abdur'Rahman's death sentence in September at the behest of Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk. That decision was based on evidence of racial discrimination during jury selection in Abdur'Rahman's 1987 trial, as well as other instances of prosecutorial misconduct by then-Nashville prosecutor John Zimmermann.

Abdur'Rahman was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the killing of Patrick Daniels and attack on Norma Jean Norman during a robbery.

Funk had come to Watkins' courtroom in September and asked the judge to sign off on a deal that would replace Abdur'Rahman's death sentence with a life sentence. Norman's two daughters were in the courtroom that day and told reporters later that they believed justice was served by the case's apparent resolution. But a little more than two weeks later, Slatery announced his intention to challenge that resolution and see to it that Abdur'Rahman would still be executed as planned. 

Both Slatery and Abdur'Rahman's lawyers have asked the state Supreme Court to reach down and take up the case, skipping over the Court of Criminal Appeals. The prevailing assumption was that, one way or the other, the case would end up before the high court. Now the court has taken Abdur'Rahman's April 16 execution date, relieving that urgency. 

A clemency campaign for Abdur'Rahman had just recently kicked off. Regardless of Abdur'Rahman's situation in the courts, Gov. Bill Lee has the power to commute his sentence to a life sentence. 

Responding to the court's decision by email, Abdur'Rahman's attorney, Bradley MacLean, said: "This is not the end of the case. I greatly admire the way Abu-Ali continues to perform his good works in prison during these stressful times. We will continue to vigorously fight for his life and for justice."