Hill's lawyers were back in court, once again claiming their client was mentally retarded and should not be executed, but Miriam Fife could not disagree more.
There is not much Miriam Fife doesn't know about Danny Lee Hill. The man convicted of brutally killing her twelve year old son, Raymond, in 1985. In the last two decades, she has been to more court hearings than she cares to remember and she vows to keep going until she says justice is served. Fife will not rest until Hill's death sentence is carried out.
Hill and his attorneys say he should not be sentenced to death because he is retarded. Two years ago, a Trumbull County Common Pleas judge ruled Hill was not retarded. Hill appealed, so on Tuesday, Fife found herself back in the courtroom hearing the arguments she knows all too well.
Prosecutors argued that Hill does have a low IQ, but that he purposely did bad on IQ tests to make it appear that he is mentally retarded. He also added that Hill can adapt to situations and appears to be able to read and understand legal documents.
Hill's attorney says the fact his client can accomplish certain acts does not mean he is not mentally retarded. He said mentally retarded people can read and hold jobs. Hill is currently holding a janitorial job on death row.
The appeals court judges will now take the case under advisement and are expected to rule in the next several weeks.
