Claim delays man’s trial

Associated Press

AKRON

An Ohio suspect’s trial for two arson fires that killed nine people in his neighborhood is being delayed because his lawyers say medical testing indicates he has brain damage and cognitive impairment.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports Stanley Ford’s attorneys contend the 59-year-old Akron man shouldn’t be facing a potential death penalty. They argue the U.S. Supreme Court has prohibited the execution of people who are intellectually disabled.

Ford has pleaded not guilty in fires that killed two adults in April 2016 and two adults and five children in May 2017.