NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The fate of a black death row inmate in Tennessee is up in the air. Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman was scheduled to be executed in April, but last fall a judge resentenced him based on claims that prosecutors had illegally excluded African Americans from the jury pool.
The attorney general appealed the resentencing, and the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals heard arguments Tuesday. Attorneys for the state argue the trial court judge didn't have the authority to modify Abdur’Rahman’s sentence based merely on an agreement with the district attorney.
Attorneys for Abdur'Rahman argue the attorney general doesn't have the authority to challenge the district attorney's agreement.
