Paradis’ Appeal On Back Burner After Clemency Appeal No Longer Qualifies For Expedited Action

Now that the death sentence for convicted slayer Donald Paradis has been commuted to life in prison, a federal appeals court says his case no longer qualifies for expedited procedures.

Gov. Phil Batt on May 24 granted clemency for Paradis, who was under a death sentence for a 1980 murder he claimed he didn’t commit. The governor said while there was an element of doubt in the case, it would be improper to execute Paradis. His commutation order said Paradis would have no chance at parole.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday notified the state that previous deadlines for filing written legal arguments in Paradis’ appeal were vacated.

“It appears to us that the governor of the state of Idaho has commuted the sentence of death imposed on Donald M. Paradis to life imprisonment. It further appears that this matter is no longer subject to the death penalty rules or procedures of this court,” the federal court said.

The case was removed from the death penalty docket, which gets expedited hearings, “and this case may be assigned by the clerk of the court for hearing before any regularly scheduled panel,” the appeals court said.

The order was signed by Judge Leland C. Nielsen, senior district judge for the Southern District of California.