High court jump-starts death-row inmate's argument

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Supreme Court says a lower court erred when it dismissed a petition from an inmate condemned to die for the rape and murder of a shopping mall security guard.

A Pulaski County jury in 1999 convicted Andrew Engram in the death of Laurie White, who worked at a North Little Rock mall. The state's highest court said Thursday that Engram can pursue another review of his case.

Engram's lawyers asked justices to send Engram's case back to a lower court for a hearing on whether he had good cause to file a petition after a deadline to do so had passed.

In arguments Oct. 10, Engram's legal team said a previous lawyer did poor work and that death-row inmates are entitled to a full set of reviews.

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