Attorney General's News Release

July 26, 1996

Federal appeals court orders judge to render decision on petition of death row inmate pending for six years

Jefferson City, Mo. — At the behest of Attorney General Jay Nixon, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered a federal district judge to rule on a petition that was filed in March 1990 by a Missouri death row inmate who killed a state trooper.

Judge Edward Filippine was ordered to file an opinion by Aug. 15, 1996, on the habeas petition of Jerome Mallett, who was sentenced to die for the March 1985 murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper James Froemsdorf in Perry County. Mallett confessed to the killing, which occurred after he was stopped for speeding on I-55.

Nixon had filed a writ of mandamus with the appeals court in January seeking the order on the habeas petition, which has been before Judge Filippine for more than six years.

“The delays in justice at the federal court level for murderers such as Jerome Mallett have been, unfortunately, more the rule than the exception,” Nixon said. “The waiting of 10 years and even more between the passing of sentence and the sentence being carried out has been an impetus for the sweeping habeas reforms that were enacted this spring by Congress and signed by the President. Today's order gives us hope that a cop killer like Jerome Mallett can no longer find refuge through delays in the federal courts.”

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818