News-Robin Lovitt

I had a post about Robin Lovitt and Mark Warner before the holiday. It addressed the so called dilemma facing Warner on the fate of Robin Lovitt. It is not a dilemma, but I will leave that alone for now. Todays RTD has this article about Robin Lovitt victims mother and her wishes. It also touches on planned protests if the execution is carried out tomorrow.

• From the RTD
• But Mary Dicks, an 84-year-old Washington resident, thinks the execution should be carried out.
• Lovitt was sentenced to die for stabbing Clayton Dicks to death during a robbery at an Arlington County pool hall in 1998. A clemency petition asking that Lovitt's life be spared is before Gov. Mark R. Warner.
• "I don't want to see [anybody] getting killed," Mary Dicks said. But, she added, the death penalty is appropriate for Lovitt. "That's what Clayton got, didn't he? He was at his job and he got executed."

I agree with the victims mother and my heart is breaking for her. But there are many problems with the case as all the evidence was destroyed.

• Kenneth W. Starr, one of Lovitt's lawyers, and Mark L. Earley, a former Republican Virginia attorney general, oppose Lovitt's execution because the evidence destruction eliminated any chance Lovitt had to cast doubt on his guilt with new DNA testing.

What will Warner do? The pressure is on and time is running out. Warner mouthpiece Kevin Hall said

• "the governor's office has received roughly 1,500 calls, letters and e-mails, mostly from out of state and almost all urging clemency."

Warners call on this case could follow him for years. I still see it as a win-win for Warner if handled correctly. With the destruction of evidence he has an out to appeal to the pro death penalty side. If he lets the execution take place will he loose some anti death penalty support? As I said in the post last week, it will be very interesting to see how he handles this. Waner is also gaining a little praise from some conservatives with his recent remarks on the war in Iraq. Chad has the info here.