Supreme Court Denies Richard Moore Execution Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the execution of Richard Moore, a South Carolina inmate scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Friday for the 1999 murder of a convenience store clerk. Moore's lawyers argue he is the only death row inmate in South Carolina convicted by a jury with no African American members, and they emphasize that he was unarmed at the time of the crime. Over 20 individuals, including jurors, the trial judge, and a former state prison director, have petitioned Governor Henry McMaster for clemency, citing Moore's remorse and positive influence in prison. Governor McMaster has not yet disclosed his decision regarding clemency, which he will announce shortly before the execution. South Carolina has not granted clemency in any of the 44 executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, raising concerns about systemic bias in capital punishment cases. Moore's case continues to highlight issues of race and the application of the death penalty in the state.