New Louisiana Law Limits Death Row Appeals Process

Death Row Appeals to be Expedited

Swift Justice for Victims' Families

According to Glorioso, the bill’s purpose is to "get these things resolved, once and for all, and not have them drag on for 20 years or 25 years." The goal is to provide swift justice for the families of victims, who are often forced to endure "heart-wrenching, court appearances over the long period of time." He clarifies that the law still allows defendants to have their day in court and bring whatever appeals they want, but the process will no longer be open-ended. Glorioso explained, "We want the defendant to have their day in court and bring whatever appeals they want to have, get it before the court, get it resolved, and then get these cases off the books."

Ending Deliberate Delays

Glorioso suggests that the previous law incentivized convicts and their attorneys to intentionally delay proceedings. He noted, "Even though they may not have a legitimate assertion of innocence, but they know they can frustrate the system by following these constant post-conviction reliefs and letting them sit and not moving forward and clogging up the system."

Glorioso emphasizes that convicts are still afforded due process, including the ability to request DNA testing, but they no longer have an unlimited amount of time to do so.