WISE, JESSIE LEE
General Information
DOB: April 8, 1953
Race: African-American
Gender: Male
Crime and Trial
County of conviction: St. Louis
Number of counts: One
Race of victim: White
Gender of victim: Female
Date of crime: August 27, 1988
Date of sentencing: March 15, 1991
Date of execution: May 26, 1999
Legal status:
Trial Counsel: Guilt phase
-- Mr. Wise waived the right to counsel, represented himself, and was given
"standby" counsel (Timothy Braun) from the court.
Penalty phase --
Timothy Braun
Last counsel of record:
Elizabeth Carlyle
200 SE Douglas, Suite 200
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
816-525-2050 / 816-525-6540
John W. Simon
P.O. Box 16005
Clayton, MO 63105
314-645-1776
Last judicial decision:
--Denial of habeas corpus under U.S. Supreme Court original jurisdiction, and of application for stay of execution. See In re Wise, 526 U.S. 1141 (1999)
Reported Opinions:
--Conviction, sentence, and denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by State v. Wise, 879 S.W.2d 494 (Mo. banc 1994), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1093 (1995).
--Denial of habeas corpus affirmed by Wise v. Bowersox, 136 F.3d 1197 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1026 (1998).
--Denial of habeas corpus under U.S. Supreme Court original jurisdiction, and of application for stay of execution. See In re Wise, 526 U.S. 1141 (1999).
Significant legal issues:
--voluntariness of waiver of counsel before the trial court, in light of serious questions regarding Mr. Wise's mental health
--Mr. Wise's self-representation during a second competency hearing conducted by the court upon an ex parte request of standby counsel, who believed Mr. Wise to be incompetent -- and the trial court's failure to hold another competency hearing when Mr. Wise behaved irrationally during the trial
--Trial counsel's failure to present mental health and other mitigating evidence, including evidence regarding Mr. Wise's background and childhood; trial court's failure to grant a one-day continuance after the guilt phase to allow trial counsel to prepare for the sentencing phase