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Show Ztx&nzt as It Seems ByTobninx 5- I . in bright cocoas-. me Ht wit Mcdieof . P (Citfbrnit.fns) JjFgl' ORANTEB STAY AFTER HE WAS DEAD One af tha moat ironical twists of fate In legal history permitted Rush Griffin, convicted negro murderer, to be executed at Ban Quentln prison, California, Just before be was granted a stay of execution which might have aaved hie life. Griffin waa sentenced to hang and his execution date waa aet for April a, IMS. Griffin's counsel Deputy Public Defender Richard F. Bird, made a formal notice of appeal before the execution date, the appeal legally operating as a star of execution. . The appeal waa filed In Loo Angeles, but the California state supreme court waa sitting In San Francisco. Somehow the ajppeal became misdirected mis-directed and did not reach the high tribunal until after Griffin'a death. Tha etrange situation resulted in California's legislature taking steps to avoid such occurrences in the future. Now the state supreme court must review all cases invoiviing death sentences and write and I file a decision before the date of execution can be fixed. |