Death Penalty

HARRODSBURG - Its been nearly two years since John “Bud” Dacci was gunned down inside his Herrington Lake home, and a trial date for the man accused in his murder was further delayed Tuesday when a new attorney was assigned to the case. Lexington attorney Tom Griffiths was named lead attorney for James Michael Kelley, replacing local public defender Susanne McCollough, who had represented Kelley since Dacci's murder in December 2010. The move comes after Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms filed a “notice of aggravators” last month in Mercer Circuit Court, allowing him to seek the death penalty against Kelley if convicted.

VERSAILLES ? A Woodford County jury found Lewis "Buck" Ballard guilty of capital murder and first-degree sodomy today in the death of a 6-year-old Clark County boy. The 10-man, two-woman jury deliberated more than five hours before reaching the verdict in the trial, which was in its second week. Ballard, 50, faces the death penalty for the August 2007 death of Wesley Mullins. The sentencing phase of the trial will begin 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to Woodford Circuit Judge Rob Johnson.

LEXINGTON - The trial date for four people accused of killing a Hustonville man outside a Lexington apartment has not been set. At a hearing Friday in Fayette County Circuit Court, attorneys said they expected the prosecution to present offers for plea agreements. A new hearing for Ostaohanmwen Ananuwa Ighodaro, Arthur Eugene Roberts, William Douglas Doty III and Marcus Lewis was set for March 26. The three men and a woman are accused of fatally shooting John Laswell, 39, on July 10, 2003, as he sat outside a Lexington apartment complex.

By TODD KLEFFMAN tkleffman@amnews.com STANFORD - Two of the three men charged with the 2002 murders of Bo Upton and Ryan Shangraw pleaded not guilty Friday in Lincoln Circuit Court. It was the first open court appearance in the case for Jamarkos Campbell and Deonte Simmons, both of Richmond, who are charged with shooting Upton and Shangraw to death during a robbery at Shangraw's trailer in Hubble. Commonwealth's Attorney Eddy Montgomery filed notice he plans to seek the death penalty for Simmons.

The jury selection process is set to begin this morning in Paris to find an impartial jury for the 2007 killing of a Winchester boy. Lewis "Buck" Ballard, 50, could receive the death penalty if he is convicted of capital murder and first-degree sodomy for the August 2007 death of 6-year-old Wesley Mullins. The boy, who was a student at Strode Station Elementary, was visiting his grandfather in Paris when he died. Ballard was staying with Mullins' grandfather at the time. Bourbon Circuit Judge Rob Johnson scheduled several days for the jury selection process.

STANFORD - Two of the three men charged with the 2002 murders of Bo Upton and Ryan Shangraw pleaded not guilty Friday in Lincoln Circuit Court. It was the first open court appearance in the case for Jamarkos Campbell and Deonte Simmons, both of Richmond, who are charged with shooting Upton and Shangraw to death during a robbery at Shangraw's trailer in Hubble. Commonwealth's Attorney Eddy Montgomery filed notice he plans to seek the death penalty for Simmons. Campbell is not eligible for capital punishment because he was a juvenile at the time of the murders, but Montgomery said he will seek the maximum punishment allowed, life without hope of parole or life without parole for 25 years.

A bill sponsored by Kentucky state Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, would abolish the death penalty. The emotion this bill will evoke is both expected and predictable. There are few among us who have no opinion on this topic, and while there is often a tendency to remain silent, the open discussion that demands the execution of a human being often ignites a deeply felt bias that can be surprising. There are some brutal, calculated, pre-planned, and methodically accomplished crimes that are beyond comprehension.

Murder suspect Lewis "Buck" Ballard is competent to be tried and possibly face the death penalty for the killing of a Winchester boy two summers ago. Bourbon Circuit Judge Rob Johnson ruled in April that Ballard was able to understand the legal process and the nature of the charges against him, despite not being able to read or write and having an IQ of 72. In Kentucky, people with an IQ less than 70 are not eligible to receive the death penalty....

STANFORD ? One of the men identified as a gunman in the 2002 murders of Bo Upton and Ryan Shangraw denies firing a weapon and is now asking to withdraw his guilty plea and take his case to trial. If the motion is granted and Simmons goes to trial, the death penalty could be on the table. In a handwritten affidavit filed Tuesday, Deonte Simmons said he did not fire any shots when Shangraw and Upton were gunned down over drugs inside Shangraw's trailer near Hubble. "I did not have a firearm when I went into the trailer.

BEREA - Distinguished human rights lawyer Stephen B. Bright, a Danville native and University of Kentucky graduate, will address the 68 seniors participating in the recognition service for mid-year graduates 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at Berea College. In addition to speaking to the graduates, Bright will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Berea. The service will be in Phelps Stokes Chapel, and will include music by organist John Courter and members of the Berea College Concert Choir.