NEWS FLASH

US Seeks Death Penalty in Case of Man in the Middle of Tug-of-War Between Gov. Chafee and Federal Authorities | Yesterday federal prosecutors responded to a federal court ruling that ordered the Justice Department to indicate whether they would seek the death penalty in the case of Jason Wayne Pleau by announcing that they would be seeking the death penalty. Pleau, accused of fatally shooting a gas manager during a 2006 robbery, has been in the center of a year-long tug-of-war between Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) and federal officials. Gov. Chafee preferred to try him under state law because of the possibility of a death penalty prosecution under federal law. Rhode Island doesn’t allow capitol punishment.
–Alex Brown