Alabama Circuit Court Judge Stays Execution Because of Concerns with Prisoner’s Mental Competency | Death Penalty Information Center

Alabama Circuit Court Judge Stays Execution Because of Concerns with Prisoner’s Mental Competency | Death Penalty Information Center

In a July 10, 2025, order, Marion County Alabama Circuit Court Judge Talmage Lee Carter issued a tem­po­rary stay of exe­cu­tion for David Lee Roberts because of con­cerns regard­ing his men­tal com­pe­ten­cy. Mr. Roberts was sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed on August 21. Judge Carter’s order tasked the Alabama Department of Mental Health with deter­min­ing whether Mr. Roberts has a ​“ratio­nal under­stand­ing” about why the state will exe­cute him. …