Recent activity in the Gray habeas case

On Thursday, Senior Judge Rogers issued four orders in the federal habeas corpus case of military death row inmate Ronald Gray. Three of the orders granted motions for counsel from the highly regarded Capital Habeas Corpus Unit (CHU) of the Federal Public Community Defender, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to appear pro hac vice. The fourth order granted in part those counsel's request for an extension in the deadline for filing their traverse to accommodate a mitigation investigation. Gray's counsel had sought a 120-day extension. Judge Rogers found "it appropriate under the circumstances to grant a preliminary extension of 60 days at this time. Once the period for filing a response to petitioner's motion has expired, the court will renew its consideration of petitioner's request for an additional sixty days to file a traverse." Gray v. Gray, No. 08-3289-RDR (D. Kan. May 21, 2009) (order).