KARL ROBERTS

DOB: March 3, 1968
Race: White
Gender: Male

County of conviction: Polk
Number of counts: 1
Race of victim: White
Gender of victim: Female
Date of crime: May 15, 1999
Date of sentencing: May 23, 2000

Trial Counsel:

Darrel Blount

Current proceedings:

• Federal habeas petition pending in  U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (Case No. 5:04-CV-4, before Howard, J.).

Last judicial decision:

• Stay of execution entered by U.S. District Court and affirmed by Eighth Circuit.  State's application to vacate stay denied by U.S. Supreme Court.  Norris v. Roberts, 124 S.Ct. 980 (2004).

Current counsel:

Jenniffer Horan
Bruce Eddy
Federal Public Defender's Office
The Victory Building
1401 W. Capitol Ave., Suite 490
Little Rock, AR 72201
501-324-6113

Reported Opinions:

• Stay of execution entered by U.S. District Court and affirmed by Eighth Circuit.  State's application to vacate stay denied by U.S. Supreme Court.  Norris v. Roberts, 124 S.Ct. 980 (2004).
   
• Trial court's finding that Mr. Roberts is competent, and approval of request to waive Rule 37 remedies, affirmed by State v. Roberts, 123 S.W.3d 881 (Ark. 2003).
   
• Sentence and conviction affirmed on mandatory review by Roberts v. State, 102 S.W.3d 482 (Ark. 2003).

Significant legal issues:

• police officer's assurance that "we'll help" if Mr. Roberts would confess to the crime, and whether such assurance rendered the confession involuntary
   
• Mr. Roberts' competence to waive appellate and post-conviction remedies
   
• Mr. Roberts' frontal lobe damage and low intelligence

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