USA - Pennsylvania. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted a new trial to James Dennis

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted a new trial to James Dennis. Dennis, 45, Black, has been on death row for nearly 25 years. The full federal appeals court voted 9-4 on Tuesday to uphold a district court ruling granting Dennis a new trial (see August 21, 2013), reversing an earlier decision by a three-judge appellate panel. Early last year, a three-judge Third Circuit panel reversed Brody's decision, inspiring a new round of en banc appeals before the Philadelphia-based appellate court's full 13-judge bench. Writing for the majority, Judge Marjorie O. Rendell said, "Evidence suppressed by the prosecution—a receipt corroborating Dennis' alibi, an inconsistent statement by the Commonwealth's key eyewitness, and documents indicating that another individual committed the murder—effectively gutted the Commonwealth's case against Dennis. The withholding of these pieces of evidence denied Dennis a fair trial in state court." Dennis was convicted in 1992 of shooting dead Chedell Williams, 17, in October 1991.