By Kealey Bultena
The South Dakota Supreme Court agrees: the death sentence is appropriate for one of the men convicted of murdering a corrections officer. Eric Robert pleaded guilty to killing Ron Johnson in April of 2011, and the trial judge sentenced him to death. State authorities are looking ahead to the consequence of Robert’s conviction.
Following a unanimous affirmation by the state Supreme Court, public defender Mark Kadi says his client Eric Robert is relieved that his conviction and death sentence stand. Kadi says Robert has no plans to appeal or delay the execution.
Now South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says he seeks a date of execution for the convicted murderer while recognizing Robert can still appeal.
"If you really look at this case, it has been from the very beginning tried very cleanly, that the issues were raised in front of the trial court as well as the South Dakota Supreme Court now and we would anticipate that this case should move forward. But if there do become issues that come up, we’ll deal with them like we do any other case."
During his trial, Eric Robert requested the death sentence as a punishment for his role in the corrections officer killing. The Attorney General notes that Robert’s willingness to die has no bearing on the trial court judge’s decision or the ruling from South Dakota’s high court.