USA - Connecticut. The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned 7-0 the death sentence of Eduardo Santiago, 32, Hispanic

The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned 7-0 the death sentence of Eduardo Santiago, 32, Hispanic, saying the trial judge wrongly withheld key evidence from the jury. Justices ordered a new penalty phase in the case of Santiago, who was 1 of 3 men convicted in the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Joseph Niwinski in 2000. The other defendants pleaded guilty and are serving life in prison. The court, however, upheld Santiago's conviction. The Supreme Court said the trial judge, Elliot Solomon, failed to disclose "significant and relevant" mitigating evidence against the death penalty during the trial. Justices said Solomon released only limited portions of a confidential file kept by the state Department of Children and Families that detailed Santiago's troubled childhood, which included beatings and sexual molestation. 10 other men are on Connecticut's death row. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and lawmakers repealed the state's death penalty in April, but only for future crimes. State prosecutors and legal experts say they expect lawyers for death row inmates to file new appeals challenging their death sentences based on the repeal.