Nevada Supreme Court to hear Dozier death row case
The Nevada Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the cases involving a death row inmate who wants to die and the controversial ballot initiative aimed at preventing local governments from enacting sanctuary city policies.
The state’s high court will hear 60 minutes of oral arguments in the legal challenge to the Prevent Sanctuary Cities ballot initiative at 10 a.m. on May 8.
The proposed constitutional amendment, spearheaded by state Senate Minority Leader and Republican lieutenant governor candidate Michael Roberson, would prohibit any state or local government from implementing policies that would make it a “sanctuary community” that does not cooperate with federal immigration laws.
In January a Carson City judge threw out the initiative, calling it “excessively broad and general,” and said it was likely to confuse voters. Roberson’s group appealed the decision.
The justices will also hear hear arguments in the case of twice-convicted murderer Scott Dozier, who was scheduled to be executed in November and has said he wants to die.
Dozier’s death was postponed after a district judge denied the use of a paralytic drug called cisatracurium and granted a request from the lawyers for the Nevada Department of Corrections to stay the execution as the lethal injection process is reviewed by the Nevada Supreme Court.
The Dozier case is scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 8.
Both cases will be heard at the Supreme Court building in Carson City.
Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.