Governor Commutes Death Sentence, Burton Gets Life

0:00This is Birmingham News today, every story, every city, every day. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of Charles Sonneley Burton to life in prison without parole. This happened just two days before his scheduled execution on Tuesday. Burton had spent more than three decades on death row after a 1991 conviction for his role in a robbery that led to a fatal shooting. The crime took place at an auto-part store in Talladega, where Burton helped organize the armed robbery. He held a gun to the store manager's head, but he had already left the scene when another man shot and killed Army veteran Douglas Battle. Attorney General Steve Marshall strongly condemned the decision, calling Burton a career criminal and murderer under accomplice liability laws. Marshall said Burton dragged out his case with endless appeals and deserved the jury's punishment long ago. He urged Alabamians not to lose faith in the justice system. Governor Ivey, who supports the death penalty for the worst crimes, consulted the battle family before acting.

1:00She noted the shooter faces the same life sentence, making it unjust to execute Burton alone. Now Burton will spend the rest of his life behind bars, matching the Triggerman's punishment. Ivey thanked the Attorney General's office for defending the case over the years. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor, linked in the description, headphones in a pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense.