Naomi Fenwick

And then suddenly, something happens that nobody was expecting.

The Fifth Circuit, the federal appeals court, hands down their ruling.

The lawyers are confused because in their experience, the Fifth Circuit usually waits until the CCA acts in these cases.

The federal courts don't tend to rule before the state courts, but they have this time.

The whole office goes into a tailspin.

Jeremy says he's never seen this before.

He calls Greg, desperate to get him on the phone to figure this out.

Greg doesn't pick up.

Jeremy wonders aloud if he's on the treadmill.

What little restraint Jeremy's shown in this podcast with regard to cursing is now completely out the window.

While Jeremy waits on Greg to respond, he skims the Fifth Circuit ruling.

One thing that jumps out, Ramona dismukes.

Ramona, remember, is a woman who met the lawyers at a Whataburger, who told them about the wild plan she and her mother came up with to try and lure out the desert killer on their own.

Ramona was also the person who offered the lawyers an explanation for why a woman named Judith Kelling said David Wood raped her, one of the foundations of his death sentence.

Ramona DeSmeeks was never called to testify in the capital murder trial, and so the jury never heard that claim.

The Fifth Circuit writes...

It turns out the Fifth Circuit authorized some of the defense team's claims, including Ramona's, meaning they'd like a lower court to take a look at them.

There's also a catch.

He explains it to Greg when he finally gets him on the phone.

He was, in fact, on the treadmill.