Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Dansby Granted New Attorney In Murder Appeal

Condemned murderer Joe Louis Dansby, 48, will be getting a new attorney.

A hearing was held in Miller County recently to appoint a new lawyer for Dansby.

Eighth Judicial District South Prosecuting Attorney Brent Haltom said this is nothing new, as there is a special rule applying to death penalty cases.

Under rule 37, he said, those sentenced to death are appointed new attorneys who specialize in death-penalty cases.

This attorney, Haltom added, is appointed by the court. The lawyer, once named, will work on Dansby's behalf filing appeals until all have been exhausted or a new trial is granted.

Should a new trial be approved, Haltom said, where it is held will depend on where the petition is filed.

This means a new trial, if one occurs, could either be held in Nevada or Miller County.

To this point, he said, all filings have been made in Nevada County.

Haltom said the court has a special list of attorneys who are qualified for this type of case, as not all lawyers can do them.

"It takes special qualifications for death penalty cases," he said.

Dansby's former attorney, Gene Bramblett of Camden, said a new barrister could possibly provide a different perspective on the case.

Once Dansby's new attorney has been named, he will have 90 days to file an appeal to formally challenge the effectiveness of the former counsel.

Dansby was convicted of the May 16, 1992, murders of Jeff Lewis, 23, and Malissa Clark, 21. He was sentenced to death in April 1997.

The bodies of Clark and Lewis were found about four miles southeast of the Morris Community off a logging road.

Lewis's body was found wedged in the bed of his pickup between the bed wall and an all- terrain vehicle.

Clark's nude body was found sprawled behind the truck on the ground.

Both had been shot several times with a .22 caliber rifle, which was found in a gravel pit pond a year later.