In May, Edward Witt Chandler, a criminal defense lawyer...

In May, Edward Witt Chandler, a criminal defense lawyer known for his philosophical approach to the law, filed a challenge to the death penalty contending that it is a "religious ritual" that violates the separation of church and state. Chandler made the argument in a 67-page motion in favor of Richard Odom, who killed an elderly woman in a parking garage. Chandler's motion says the death penalty is based on the Judeo-Christian concept of man's free will to choose between good and evil and that a state-sponsored execution is an unconstitutional establishment of religion by the state.