in a unanimous decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco...

in a unanimous decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco concluded that the attorney representing Joe L. Lambright did not properly prepare arguments for the sentencing hearing that might have convinced the judge that his client should not be sentenced to death.
Joe Leonard Lambright's lawyer spent only 5 hours preparing for the penalty phase of his 1982 trial. Lambright, 59, was convicted of 1st-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault for the death of Sandra Owen, as was his co-defendant, Robert D. Smith, 58. Both were sentenced to death.