MIAMI, Jul 28, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- At least a dozen men on Florida's deathrow may escape execution because they have low IQs, the Miami Herald reported Monday.

Mobilized by a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year, condemned Florida inmates and their attorneys are scouring psychological reports and school records for old IQ scores, special-education documents and other minutiae that now could mean the difference between life and death.

Eighteen states, including Florida, had enacted laws since 1986 that shield retarded defendants from the death penalty.

But Florida's 2001 law applied only to future murder cases, not the vast number of inmates already condemned. The sweeping U.S. Supreme Court ruling is broader, empowering anyone on deathrow with a retardation claim to petition the courts for a lighter sentence.

Estimates vary, but perhaps 5 percent to 10 percent of the 367 inmates on Florida's deathrow have strong cases for commuting their sentence to a life term.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International.

PsycPORT® is a product of the American Psychological Association created to provide quick access to mass-media information related to psychology.
®2001 American Psychological Association
Last updated: 07/29/2003 - 06:27 AM