High court refuses to hear three death cases

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court says it won’t hear the cases of three Alabama death row inmates, including a man who recently came close to the death chamber.

Al.com reports the justices on Monday declined to review the cases of Jerry Bohannon, Aubrey Shaw and Tommy Arthur. Arthur won a last-minute delay from the same court in November.

The inmates were all convicted of capital murder, and separately they were asking the high court to review Alabama’s death penalty law. Each was challenging Alabama’s system that lets judges override sentencing recommendations made by jurors.

The decision doesn’t directly affect a stay of execution that has been in place for Arthur for more than two months. In that appeal, Arthur is challenging Alabama’s lethal injection procedures.