USA - Alabama. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned the death sentence of Billy Joe Magwood

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned the death sentence given to 60-year-old Billy Joe Magwood for the 1979 shooting death of Coffee County Sheriff Neil Grantham. The appeals court said Alabama's law when Grantham was killed did not make killing a law enforcement officer a death penalty offense. Magwood had argued that the law was later changed to make murder of a law enforcement officer an aggravating offense for jurors to use in determining if someone should be sentenced to death. (see also Apr. 9, 2007; Jan. 23, 2009 and Jun. 24, 2010)