USA - Texas. The US Supreme Court agreed to consider the case of Robert Jennings

The US Supreme Court agreed to consider the case of Robert Jennings, who argued his defense was insufficient during his trial. Jennings was convicted and is on death row for the July 1988 murder of a Houston police officer during a burglary. In his appeal at the US top court, Jennings argued his case was "prejudiced" by his lawyer's failure to present the jury with evidence of extenuating circumstances, including mental impairment and his disadvantaged background. In particular, Jennings cited psychological difficulties traced to a childhood mired in poverty, violence and drugs, and growing up with a single mother who reminded him constantly that he was conceived when she was raped at age 16. "The jury was deprived of meaningful mitigating evidence that could have resulted in a life sentence," instead of the death penalty, the prisoner argued in a court document. The review could lead to Jennings' death sentence being commuted to life in prison. The Supreme Court will consider the case during its next session, which begins in October 2014. A lower court had ruled in favor of the inmate, but a federal appeals court overruled the judgment, saying Jennings didn't follow the correct legal procedures for filing his appeal.