by David G. Savage
The Supreme Court today cleared the way for the execution of Beltway sniper John Allen Muhammad.
Scheduled for execution Tuesday evening in Virginia, Muhammad was convicted of masterminding the sniper-shooting rampage that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area in the fall of 2002. Sixteen people were shot, and 10 of them died.
The justices turned down a final emergency appeal from Muhammad's lawyers claiming that he deserved more time to develop his appeals.
Three justices -- John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor -- added a statement saying they were troubled that Virginia did not give convicts one year to file their federal appeals, as set in federal law.
But they also said that they saw no reason in Muhammad's case to stop the execution.
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