Christa Pike - Appeal of Conviction

Appeal of Conviction

Following the guilty verdict Pike “launched, canceled and then relaunched” an appeal of her conviction in the Tennessee state courts. In June 2001, then again in June 2002, against the advice of her lawyers, Pike asked the courts to drop her appeal and sought to be executed via electrocution. Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz granted the request and an execution date of August 19, 2002 was set. Pike soon thereafter changed her mind and on July 8, 2002 defense lawyers filed a motion to allow the appeal process to continue. This motion was denied. However on August 2, 2002 a three judge state appeals court panel ruled that the proceedings should be continued and the execution was not carried out. In December 2008 Pike’s latest request for a new trial was turned down and she was returned to death row. This denied request is believed to be the final allowed under the appeals procedures in the State of Tennessee. As of this writing (December 2009) no execution date has been set and it is unknown whether or not she has undertaken any appeal of her conviction in the federal court system.