Georgia high court allows execution of Brannan to go on tonight

The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request to stop the execution of Andrew Howard Brannan in a 6-1 decision.

Brannan is to be put to death tonight by lethal injection at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.

The now 66-year-old man was convicted of shooting and killing 22-year-old Laurens County Deputy Sheriff Kyle Dinkheller in January 1998 after Dinkheller stopped Brannan for speeding on Interstate 16.

The court also denied his request to appeal Tuesday’s order by a Butts County court dismissing his claim that in light of “evolving standards of decency,” it is unconstitutional to execute a person who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of serving in combat.

Brannan served in the Vietnam War.

All the Justices concurred in today’s ruling except Justice Robert Benham, who dissented, and Justice David Nahmias, who did not participate.

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