Morning, y’all! Not quite as chilly today, with morning temperatures near 40 degrees and highs around 70.
Today’s newsletter has the latest on former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill’s release from prison, the emergence of a new “Frankenbill” at the state Capitol, and Liam Neeson coming to town with a different set of skills than you might expect. The Braves also named an opening day starter.
But first: A look at Georgia’s first scheduled execution since before the pandemic.
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CLEMENCY DENIED
Credit: Jozsef Papp/AJC
Credit: Jozsef Papp/AJC
Barring a last-minute change of course, the state of Georgia will kill Willie James Pye tonight. Over the protests of defense attorneys and activists, he’ll become the first person executed by the state in more than four years.
Here’s what we know.
The conviction: A jury convicted Pye of raping and killing Alicia Lynn Yarbrough, a romantic acquaintance, in November 1993 in Spalding County. Pye, now 56, unsuccessfully appealed his death sentence multiple times. In October, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Pye’s plea for clemency Tuesday after an hours-long closed-door meeting.
The pushback: Three of the jurors who convicted Pye joined the attempt to spare his life, raising questions about his court-appointed lawyer. Defense attorneys now representing Pye went even further, calling the lawyer a “racist, overworked public defender” who “shrugged off any meaningful investment in the case.”
They also say Pye is intellectually disabled.
The bigger picture: We won’t get too deep into the resulting legal battle, but Georgia paused executions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pye would be the first put to death since January 2020.
Other states like Alabama have struggled to find lethal injection drugs in recent years, resorting to alternate methods of execution like nitrogen gas. But Georgia law makes the state’s supplier of pentobarbital a secret.
- Georgia prosecutors, meanwhile, aren’t pursuing the death penalty as often in recent years. Even before COVID-19, Georgia saw a five-year stretch (March 2014-March 2019) without any new death sentences.
- Thirty-seven Georgia inmates currently sit on death row.
Former AJC reporter Rhonda Cook witnessed 28 executions before she retired a few years back. She doesn’t see the death penalty ending in Georgia anytime soon: “If it’s gonna change, it’s gonna be a long way off.”
Why we witness: Pye’s execution is scheduled for 7 p.m. at a state prison in Jackson, about an hour south of Atlanta. The AJC’s Jennifer Peebles will be among a small handful of media witnesses.
Because it’s important.
Rhonda put it this way: “I very strongly believe that the reporters are there for a purpose. They’re part of the process, and they’re there to watch and make sure that an execution is carried out legally and as humanely as possible.”
Stay tuned to AJC.com and follow @ShaddiAbusaid and @jpeebles for the latest.
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Keep scrolling for more news.
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ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Legal experts weighed in on Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis — and what it means moving forward.
“The case isn’t really about the DA, it’s about the evidence against these defendants,” one former federal prosecutor said. “They have always touted the strength of this evidence.”
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MORE TOP STORIES
» Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill left prison and entered “community confinement” this week, less than a year into his 18-month sentence for violating the civil rights of several local inmates.
» Republicans in the state Senate hijacked an unrelated bill and added language that, among other things, would ban transgender students from playing youth sports and using restrooms that align with their gender identity.
» Scottish authorities sentenced a Georgia-based Delta pilot to serve 10 months in jail for trying to embark on a transatlantic flight while drunk.
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ELECTION ANGST
Credit: Bob Andres/AJC
Credit: Bob Andres/AJC
In DeKalb, two county commissioners resigned to run for CEO. The county won’t hold special elections to replace them until November, leaving about 10% of residents without representation for several months.
Atlanta won’t fill the citywide council seat vacated by Keisha Sean Waites until November either.
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NATION AND WORLD
Nobody won Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing. The jackpot for the next drawing on Friday is nearly $1 billion.
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Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court greenlighted a law allowing Texas police to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally, a federal appeals court paused it again.
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SPRING FOOTBALL
Credit: Jamie Spaar for the AJC
Credit: Jamie Spaar for the AJC
Georgia State football held its first spring practice under new head coach Dell McGee, who left UGA last month to take the gig. “We understand this is a difficult situation,” McGee said. “I think we’re past that now, and it’s just fun establishing our culture.”
- Bulldogs: Georgia football is fond of mantras. “Assume Nothing” is the latest to emerge.
- Yellow Jackets Haynes King reigns as Georgia Tech’s quarterback. But the Yellow Jackets expect big things from a couple of freshmen who enrolled early.
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OPENING NOD
Spencer Strider will take the mound when the Braves kick off their season next week (March 28) in Philadelphia. It’s Strider’s first time earning the opening day nod.
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EASTER EVENTS
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Easter is March 31. Hop on it and make plans to enjoy one of these metro Atlanta events, from children’s tea service in Buckhead to a Cobb County egg hunt that involves a helicopter.
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MOVIE BIZ
Action star Liam Neeson will lead a reboot of the Leslie Nielsen comedy franchise “Naked Gun” — and it starts shooting in Atlanta in May.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Georgia men’s basketball advances at NIT
» Georgia city offers $5,000 to attract new residents
» Atlanta Girls’ School announces pending closure
» Roswell police shutter nine more massage spas
» Coke CEO made $24.7 million last year
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ON THIS DATE
March 20, 2003
On the same day the United States initiated its war on Iraq, Atlantans gathered to celebrate former President Jimmy Carter winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Carter acknowledged it was “kind of an ironic night.”
“The Carter Center has done everything we could to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis and we were not successful,” the Georgia native said. “We support our troops and pray that the casualties for both our troops and innocent Iraqi civilians will be minimal. We are hoping for a quick resolution.”
It was nearly nine years before U.S. troops completely exited Iraq.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
AJC photographer John Spink captured Cassandra Hines walking in the cold outside downtown Atlanta’s Five Points MARTA station.
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ONE MORE THING
Before we go: enjoy this offering from columnist Nedra Rhone, who takes us behind the scenes of a double Dutch jump-roping club for women over 40. “They come for double Dutch, but they stay for sisterhood,” the group’s founder says.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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