NORFOLK, Nebraska – Death-row inmate Jorge Galindo has filed a petition with the federal court to overturn his convictions and death sentence for his involvement in the 2002 U.S. Bank killings in Norfolk.
This move comes after the Nebraska Supreme Court refused to rehear his case, which resulted in a split decision affirming a lower court’s decision to deny Galindo postconviction relief without a hearing.
In 2002, Galindo, along with Jose Sandoval and Erick Vela, entered a U.S. Bank branch and shot and killed five people in one of the deadliest bank killings in U.S. history. Despite the five deaths, the three left empty-handed. They were apprehended shortly after the killings and were subsequently sentenced to death.
Galindo’s legal team argued that there was prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel, among other claims. They appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which heard the case and issued a decision last year.
The court’s majority found that even if Galindo’s allegations were true, they would not amount to more than harmless error. However, one dissenting justice, Justice Jonathan Papik, disagreed with the majority on the claim involving the county attorney.
Papik stated that he would grant Galindo an evidentiary hearing, as he could not say at this stage that Galindo was unable to prove a constitutional violation that would render his sentences void or voidable.
On December 9, Galindo’s attorney filed a motion to stay the mandate from being issued, while Galindo seeks review of several federal questions.
Two days later, assistant federal public defenders filed a 375-page petition for a writ of habeas corpus on Galindo’s behalf, raising 37 claims.
The appeals process continues for Galindo as he seeks to challenge his convictions and the death penalty he received for his part in the U.S. Bank killings.