The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a capital case involving an Alabama inmate whose lawyers say he doesn’t remember killing a police officer more than 30 years ago.
The case, Madison v. Alabama, involves Vernon Madison, who was found guilty of killing Mobile police officer Julius Schulte in 1985. The court made its announcement on Monday.
Madison was scheduled to die by lethal injection last month, but the Supreme Court halted the execution while it considered whether to hear the case.
Schulte responded to a domestic disturbance call from Madison’s neighbor in 1985. After arriving at the property, Madison crept up behind Schulte and shot him in the head.
After three trials, a jury recommended Madison be sentenced to life in prison. However, a judge in Mobile County sentenced him to death.
Madison’s lawyers argued that he was unable to remember the murder after suffering from multiple strokes and dementia. The medical issues left Madison blind and with difficulty walking.
A lawyer told the court last month that Madison’s “mind and body are failing.”
The justices will likely hear the case in the fall.
