Vernon Madison, Petitioner
Bryan A. Stevenson, Counsel of Record
On April 18, 1985, Vernon Madison shot and killed Mobile, Alabama, police officer Julius Schulte, who was providing protection for Madison’s ex-girlfriend and her daughter as they moved out of Madison’s home. Madison was convicted of capital murder, but he had his sentence overturned because prosecutors were found to have unconstitutionally excluded black people from his jury. Madison’s second conviction was also reversed because prosecutors introduced inadmissible evidence. In 1998, his third trial, conviction, and death sentence were upheld by Alabama courts, although Federal legal proceedings stretched on until 2015. During this time, Madison’s health began to decline, and he…