Federal court delays hearing for Oklahoma death row inmate to make late plea for mercy

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court has delayed a hearing in which an Oklahoma death row inmate is expected to make a final plea for mercy before his scheduled execution. The three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit delayed Monday’s scheduled hearing of the Pardon and Parole Board. The panel was set to meet Monday to consider Kevin Underwood’s bid for clemency. The 44-year-old is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Dec. 19 for the 2006 slaying of a 10-year-old girl. Underwood’s attorneys claim he has a right to a full five-member board. Two of the board’s members have resigned in recent weeks.