DemocracyNow! video discussion of the new evidence in the Terry Williams case. Williams was scheduled to be executed on October 3, 2012.

A state judge granted a stay of execution on Friday for Terry Williams, a death row inmate facing lethal injection in just five days, after ruling that prosecutors hid crucial mitigating evidence from defense attorneys before his trial nearly 30 years ago.

Williams faced death for killing Amos Norwood, a 51-year-old chemist, in Philadelphia in 1984. What the jury in that case did not know is that Norwood had sexually abused Williams and had allegedly violently raped him the night before. Furthermore, Williams had suffered years of physical and sexual abuse by older males. Most recently, evidence has emerged that prosecutors tried to make robbery seem like the motive for the murder, even though Williams’ co-defendant knew about the sexual abuse.

At trial, the lead prosecutor called Norwood an "innocent man" and told jurors that Williams committed the murder "for no other reason than that a kind man gave him a ride home." Williams was three months past his 18th birthday at the time of the killing.

Via:

Both accomplice Marc Draper, a policeman's son, and the trial prosecutor, Andrea Foulkes, gave new testimony before Sarmina in recent days. Draper said that he was promised a chance at parole if he told jurors the Norwood slaying was a robbery, not a sex-related crime.

He testified accordingly, but is serving a life term for felony murder. He said he did not understand that lifers in Pennsylvania are never eligible for parole.

Several Norwood jurors said they also misunderstood that when they sentenced Williams to death. Five jurors now support his bid for clemency, as does Norwood's widow.

Foulkes denied promising Draper a shorter sentence, or withholding evidence from jurors or the defense.

Under Saramina's ruling, Williams will get a new hearing before a jury to determine whether he should be executed or not. The judge did not overturn Williams' guilty verdict in the Norwood murder. If Williams prevails in court, he will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Lawyers with the Federal Community Defenders Office in Philadelphia said the sex-abuse evidence might have steered the jury toward a life sentence, if not a different verdict on guilt.

Then Philadelphia District Attorney Ronald Castille -- who signed off on Williams' death penalty case -- now serves as chief justice of the state Supreme Court, which may now ultimately decide Williams' fate.

Did you catch the video of the private party hosted by Shell Oil in Seattle at the Seattle Space Needle last week? The party was to be a celebration of the impending offshore drilling operations into the Arctic, complete with a replica of the Kulluk oil rig that will be doing the drilling, and inviting the widow of the man who designed the rig to symbolically tap the arctic and fill her glass with some alcoholic drink pouring from the top of the miniature rig. But lo and behold the rig's pump malfunctions and spews all over the elderly widow! Epic PR Fail!

What ensued therein was a marvel to behold, people frantically trying to stop the spewing "oil rig," only to find that nothing was working as it should. Pure comedy gold that was way to good to be true, which can only mean...The Yes Men!

But who was the charming elderly widow? Also, I didn't think the Yes Men had delved into ecological issues before, so was there another accomplice? Watch the video up at the top and find out how this delicious hoax that fooled several mainstream media news outlets and went viral was pulled off and who the cast of characters were.

Watch the video below to see the original spoof Shell Oil party video in full: