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Tree of Life Gunman Files Sweeping Appeal Seeking New Sentencing Hearing

The nearly 500-page filing asks the Third Circuit to order a new penalty phase over alleged procedural errors.

Overview

  • Robert Bowers remains on federal death row in Terre Haute as his attorneys contest the death sentence rather than the convictions.
  • The brief raises 16 issues, including claims of improper juror seating or exclusion and the use of leg shackles during the eligibility phase.
  • The filing challenges a juror who reportedly reviewed death sentences and oversaw executions in China and argues that jurors with reservations about capital punishment were wrongly struck.
  • A previous appeal was denied by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville in May 2024, and federal prosecutors now have 90 days to file their response to the new brief.
  • A law professor says the appeals process could take years with historically low odds of reversal, while the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh affirms confidence in the verdict and the courts.