Prosecutors pausing execution warrant requests for two death row inmates

Prosecutors in Clark County have paused their pursuit of execution warrants for two death‑row inmates, making an execution this year unlikely. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson announced in April that his office would seek execution warrants for Donald Sherman, 62; Zane Floyd, 50; and Sterling Atkins, 52. In May prosecutors formally asked judges to motion disconnected connected execution warrants for Floyd and Sherman, but have not requested a warrant for Atkins since the announcement. The district attorney’s office has formally agreed to a stay of Sherman’s lawsuit while awaiting the outcome of related litigation, a stipulation disclosed in a July 9 court filing. Assistant District Attorney Alex Chen said Wednesday that in the near future attorneys will file a ceremonial statement to stay Floyd’s case as well. Chen added, “However, this volition beryllium 1 happening wherever we tin person them decorativeness this litigation and past really, we believe, determination can’t perchance beryllium thing further that they could reason to hold this,” helium said. He noted that it is improbable that Sherman or Floyd will be executed this year. Both men are convicted murderers who have spent decades behind bars. Floyd killed four people at a Las Vegas Albertsons supermarket in 1999. Sherman bludgeoned a retired doctor to death with a hammer in 1994 while the victim slept in his Sun City Summerlin home; at the time Sherman was on parole for a prior killing. A proceeding scheduled for Thursday in Sherman’s case has since been canceled. Prosecutors agreed to hold a proceeding set for June 30 in Floyd’s case until August. Assistant Federal Public Defender David Anthony, who represents Sherman and Floyd, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Scott Coffee, a retired federal defender with extensive experience litigating death‑penalty cases, praised the decision to pause the litigation. He said, “It’s bully to spot that the territory attorney’s bureau is taking these cases earnestly and that they admit that determination are procedural issues progressive successful virtually each 1 of these cases that request to beryllium resolved earlier they determination guardant with an execution,” helium