JONES, DONALD
GENERAL INFORMATION
DOB: November 25, 1966
Race: African-American
Gender: Male
CRIME AND TRIAL
County of conviction: St. Louis City
Number of counts: One
Race of victim: African-American
Gender of victim: Female
Date of crime: March 6, 1993
Date of sentencing: July 26, 1994
Date of Execution: April 27, 2005
TRIAL COUNSEL:
Ellen Blau and Karen Kraft
LEGAL STATUS:
Current proceedings:
-- (purposely left blank)
Last judicial decision:
--Denial of habeas affirmed by Jones v. Luebbers, 359 F.3d 1005 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ S.Ct. ____, 2004 WL 233070 (U.S. Dec. 6, 2004).
LAST COUNSEL OF RECORD:
Stephen M. Ryals
Ryals and Soffer
8008 Carondelet Avenue, Suite 205
Clayton, MO 63105
314-862-6262
Michael A. Gross
438 S. Hanley Road
St. Louis, MO 63105
314-727-4910
REPORTED OPINIONS:
--Denial of habeas affirmed by Jones v. Luebbers, 359 F.3d 1005 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ S.Ct. ____, 2004 WL 233070 (U.S. Dec. 6, 2004).
--Conviction, sentence and denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by State v. Jones, 979 S.W.2d 171 (Mo. banc 1998), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1112 (1999)
SIGNIFICANT LEGAL ISSUES:
--improper argument by prosecutor regarding position of victim's family for life sentence (defendant murdered his grandmother); prosecutor argued that family wasn't credible and would argue for death penalty if they weren't related to defendant
--alleged bias of trial judge
--exclusion for cause of equivocating Witherspoon juror
--trial court's failure to instruct jury on voluntary manslaughter
--instruction limiting jury's consideration of psychiatric testimony, regarding the element of deliberation
--limitation on cross-examination of prosecution mental health expert regarding concessions made during deposition
--penalty phase limitation of evidence regarding defendant's pre-trial behavior in jail