Death Row Prisoners of Pennsylvania v. Ridge

MEMORANDUM

PADOVA, District Judge.

Plaintiffs, death row prisoners in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, filed this action against sundry Commonwealth officials, seeking a declaratory judgement that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is not an “opt-in” jurisdiction as that term is used and understood in the context of the Habeas Corpus provisions of the recently enacted Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, 1996. Pub.L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214 (1996) (the “Act”). The named Defendants in this suit are Governor Thomas Ridge, Attorney General Thomas Corbett, and Commissioner Martin Horn…