Alabama Judge Stays Execution to Assess Inmate Mental Competency

An Alabama judge has temporarily stayed the execution of David Lee Roberts, originally scheduled for August 21, to determine whether he is mentally competent to be executed. Roberts, convicted of the 1992 killing of Annetra Jones, has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and reportedly experiences delusions and hears voices, leading his attorneys to argue that he lacks a rational understanding of his execution and its purpose. The stay will remain until the Alabama Department of Mental Health completes a competency evaluation, which the state has requested be expedited. The ruling highlights the legal requirement, stemming from U.S. Supreme Court precedent, that individuals must comprehend the nature and reason for their execution to be eligible for capital punishment, although Alabama law lacks a clear standard for competency determinations. Roberts was set to be executed by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using in 2024. The Alabama attorney general's office is not appealing the stay, signaling agreement with the need for the competency review.