USA - South Dakota. The South Dakota Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Briley Piper

The South Dakota Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Briley Piper. The high court unanimously ruled that Piper did not validly give up his right to have a jury, rather than a judge, decide whether he got the death penalty or life in prison after pleading guilty to the March 2000 murder of Chester Allan Poage. The Supreme Court sent the case back to circuit court to give the 29-year-old Piper a chance to have a jury decide his penalty. (see also July 11, 2007)