1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

The State of Alabama plans to execute Michael Taylor by lethal injection on Thursday, November 5, despite serious questions about the reliability of his death sentence. Taylor was just 19, with no history of violence, when he was charged with capital murder forthe 1991 killings of Ivan and Lucille Moore inEtowah County, Alabama. Unable to affordan attorney, he was appointed counsel whohad never represented a capital defendant. Family, teachers, and friends described Taylor as polite, respectful, hardworking,and active in church and school. The crimewas completely out of character. The circumstances raised questions about his mental state. The Moores lived acrossthe street from Taylor’s relatives. He asked a friend to drop him at their home, made little effort to avoid arrest, and immediately confessed when arrested. Despite having psychological reports and accounts documenting Taylor’s relative immaturity, harsh upbringing, and psychological deterioration, defense counsel failed to investigate or present this mitigating evidence. Counsel later admitted they did not recognize its importance. Instead, they undermined his defense, telling jurors Taylor was “1000 percent” guilty, had a normal upbringing, and had “no mental problems.” They even argued that “[t]here’s nothing that mitigates the crime.” The Sixth Amendment guarantees effective assistance of counsel. Taylor’s attorneys should have presented expert evidence that he was suffering from a serious psychological disorder, severe emotional distress, and apredictable psychological collapse requiring mental health intervention. New counsel later argued in federal courtthat this evidence could have changed the outcome, stating: “These facts were absolutely indispensable to an accurate assessment of Mr. Taylor’s culpability, both legal and moral,” yet neither the jury nor sentencing court heard them before imposing the death penalty. In 2005, the Supreme Court prohibited executing people who committed crimes under age 18, recognizing their developmental immaturity, vulnerability to outside pressures,and greater capacity for change. Since Roper v. Simmons, experts have broadly recognized that emerging adults ages 18–20 exhibit similar cognitive immaturity, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Taylor’s decades of incarceration have also brought profound personal transformation. According to Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty in Alabama, he has developed a deep and abiding faith through relationships with volunteer ministers, church members, and fellow incarcerated men. Project Hope further describes Taylor as profoundly remorseful: “He does not minimize what happened. He grieves it.”