O’MELVENY WINS LIFE TERM FOR ATKINS IN LANDMARK DEATH PENALTY CASE

WHAT:           After two and a half years of litigation, lawyers from O’Melveny & Myers LLP, working with the Virginia Capital Defender’s office, secured a life sentence for storied death row inmate Daryl Atkins.  In a June 4, 2009 decision, the Supreme Court of Virginia dismissed petitions for writs of mandamus and prohibition from the Commonwealth of Virginia that sought to overturn a 2008 trial court order vacating the death sentence due to the prosecution’s violation of Brady v. Maryland mandates. The case dates back to the landmark United States Supreme Court caseAtkins v. Virginia, in which the Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to execute the mentally retarded. 

WHO:             O’Melveny partners Richard Parker and Steve Brody are available to explain the ramifications of today’s decision and to provide full factual details and legal background on Atkins’s compelling, landmark case.

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP

With approximately 1,000 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com