Bond granted for Mississippi man tried 6 times in killings

WINONA, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi man whose murder conviction was overturned by the United States Supreme Court for racial bias was granted his freedom for the first time in 22 years Monday while prosecutors decide whether to retry him for a seventh time.

A judge set a bond of $250,000 for Curtis Flowers, but told him he will have to wear an electronic monitor.

Flowers was convicted four times for a quadruple slaying in 1996; two other trials ended in a mistrial.

All four convictions were overturned, but Flowers has remained in jail because the original murder indictment is still active.

Circuit Judge Joseph Loper said it was “troubling” that prosecutors have not responded to a defence motion to drop the charges against Flowers.

He said if prosecutors do not respond, “the state will reap the whirlwind” from him.

Assistant District Attorney William Hopper left the courtroom without speaking to news reporters.

Earlier, he declined to comment when asked if the District Attorney’s Office would try Flowers a seventh time.

Flowers’ attorney Rob McDuff said after the hearing that a person who wanted to remain anonymous was putting up the standard 10% percent, or $250,000, required for Flowers’ release. McDuff said Flowers could be freed later Monday.

Supporters who were among the more than 150 people packing the wooden pews of the 1970s-era courtroom hugged Flowers after the judge announced his decision. His father, Archie Lee Flowers, choked back tears.

He said the first thing he would do when his son was released, was pray.

The elder Flowers said he frequently visited his son in prison, where they sang and prayed together.

He said he has always believed in his son’s innocence.

During his sixth trial in 2010, Flowers was sentenced to death.

The US Supreme Court overturned that conviction in June, finding that prosecutors had shown an unconstitutional pattern of excluding African American jurors in the trials of Flowers, who is black.

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