Hearing on Arizona executions pause

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The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled to deny a motion that is aimed at extending a death warrant issued for Aaron Gunches.

In an order, the court rejected setting a May 1 execution date for prisoner Aaron Gunches for his murder conviction in the 2002 killing of Ted Price near the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. The execution was originally scheduled for Thursday.

Hobbs, who has ordered a review of Arizona’s death penalty protocols due to the state’s history of mismanaging executions, had vowed not to enforce any death sentences until there’s confidence the state can enforce the death penalty without violating the law.

According to the ruling, which was issued on Apr. 5, the motion was filed by Ted Price's sister, Karen Price, along with Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. The motion asks the Arizona Supreme Court to extend the date of execution by 25 days, to May 1, 2023, but the motion was denied, without prejudice. The ruling did not state a reason as to why the motion was denied.

The ruling states that three state Supreme Court justices - John R. Lopez IV, James P. Beene, and William G. Montgomery (also known as Bill Montgomery) - were recused from the case. The ruling did not state the reasons behind the recusals.

In late March, the state Supreme Court rejected a request from Price’s sister, Karen Price, to order Hobbs to carry out the execution. The court concluded Hobbs wasn’t required to do so.

Price’s sister and his daughter, Brittany Kay, have since filed a lawsuit that seeks to force Hobbs to execute Gunches.

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