USA - Arkansas. The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed the 2002 capital murder conviction of Rickey Dale Newman

The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed the 2002 capital murder conviction of Rickey Dale Newman in the slaying of 46-year-old Marie Cholette, and ordered a new trial on the ground that he hadn't been competent to testify in his original trial. At the trial, Newman, 56, White,  fired his attorney, testified that he'd killed and mutilated the woman and asked for the death penalty, but when his execution date was nearing in 2005, he authorized his lawyer to apply for a stay and pursue appeals. "Taking everything into account," the court said, "we are persuaded that the record overwhelmingly illustrates that Newman's cognitive deficits and mental illnesses interfered with his ability to effectively and rationally assist counsel." The decision reverses a lower court finding that Newman was competent.