USA - Ohio. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today threw out the death sentence of Maurice Mason

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today threw out the death sentence of Maurice Mason, convicted of beating and raping a Robin Dennis, 19, in 1993. The panel by a 2-1 vote held that Mason had poor legal help in the sentencing portion of his 1994 trial in Marion County. Prosecutors have six months to hold a new sentencing hearing, the court said. The state will review the decision and consider its options, which include asking for a review by the full court, said Jim Gravelle, a spokesman for the Ohio attorney general's office.