ROUSAN, WILLIAM

DOB: July 17, 1956
Race: White
Gender: Male

CRIME AND TRIAL

County of conviction: St. Francois (on transfer from Washington)
Number of counts: 2
Race of victim: White/white
Gender of victim: Male/female
Date of crime: September 21, 1993
Date of sentencing: December 20, 1996

TRIAL COUNSEL:

Richard Scholz and Robert Wolfrum

LEGAL STATUS:

Current proceedings:

Last judicial decision:

• Denial of cert by Supreme Court, October 2, 2006, No. 05-10910.

CURRENT COUNSEL:

Eric W. Butts
720 Olive, Suite 2301
St. Louis, MO 63101
314-621-1617

Philip M. Horwitz
Hart & Horwitz
8000 Bonhomme Avenue, Suite 213
Clayton, MO  63105
314-727-2337

REPORTED OPINIONS:

• Denial of cert by Supreme Court, October 2, 2006, No. 05-10910.

• Rousan v.Roper , 436 F.3rd 951 (2006) (Eight Circuit affirmed U.S. District Court's denial of habeas February 8, 2006) rehearing denied April 6, 2006.
   
• Denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by Rousan v. State, 48 S.W.3d 576 (Mo. banc May 15, 2001).
   
• Conviction and sentence affirmed on direct appeal by State v. Rousan, 961 S.W.2d 831 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 524 U.S. 961 (1998).

SIGNIFICANT LEGAL ISSUES:

• trial counsel's failure at penalty phase to produce records from federal and state prisons regarding defendant's past behavior, failure to call defendant's former employer
   
• discoverability, under Brady, as well as admissibility, of law enforcement personnel files
   
• exclusion for cause of equivocating Witherspoon jurors
   
• voluntariness of confession to police, in light of fatigue, injuries to feet, and alleged deprivation of food during period of questioning

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