Dylann Roof takes church shooting appeal to US Supreme Court

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Attorneys for convicted church shooter Dylann Roof have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide how to handle disagreements over mental illness-related evidence between capital defendants and their attorneys. Authorities have said Roof opened fire during a 2015 Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church, killing nine members of the Black South Carolina congregation. Roof fired his legal team and represented himself at sentencing, purportedly to keep jurors from hearing evidence about his mental health. His attorneys say other courts would have allowed Roof to keep his attorneys while ensuring they didn’t present evidence he didn’t want. Last year, an appellate panel unanimously upheld Roof’s conviction and death sentence. The government’s response is due by the end of the month.