LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court has agreed to put a hold on its ruling denying the appeal of a death row inmate convicted of killing a prison guard.
The court agreed Thursday to stay its mandate to allow Latavious Johnson to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorney Jeff Rosenzweig wrote in his stay request that the case presented unique legal questions for the U.S. court, including whether an inmate convicted of violence inside a prison should be allowed access to information about the overall incidents inside that prison as part of his defense.
The Arkansas court denied a request last month by Johnson for a rehearing in his 2014 capital murder trial for the stabbing death of prison guard Barbara Ester when she tried to confiscate his sneakers.