Triple Murderer Granted Stay of Execution

The Florida Supreme Court on Saturday granted a stay of execution to convicted triple murderer Ronnie Lee Jones, who was scheduled to die Monday in the electric chair.

Attorney Ted Klein argued that Jones, 29, a former boxer who represented himself in his original trial, had shown behavior that should have led Dade County Circuit Judge Maria Korvick to call for a hearing on Jones’ competency. Korvick denied an appeal for a stay last week in Miami.

“Mr. Jones exhibited very bizarre behavior both before and during the trial,” Klein said. “It should have been the duty of the court at that time to inquire as to the man’s competency to stand trial, let alone his competency to represent himself.”

Klein contended that Jones, who killed three men during a burglary in 1981, had suffered brain damage.

Assistant State Atty. Richard Doran argued that Jones knew what he was doing and made a “cognitive” choice to act as his own counsel. Doran said that Klein was trying to spare Jones’ life through an “11th-hour attempt to raise a constitutional argument to stay the execution.”