Tuesday’s order comes one day after US District Judge James Brady ordered the immediate release of Woodfox who has served over four decades in solitary confinement. Brady’s order also bars a retrial of the Angola 3 inmate’s case.
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell appealed the judge’s order, saying Woodfox should remain in lock up because he is a killer.
Woodfox was sentenced to solitary confinement in 1972, along with Robert King and Herman Wallace, for allegedly killing a prison guard. The three have long maintained their innocence, saying they were framed for the crime. King was released in 2001, after a successful appeal to the federal court system, and Wallace was later released in 2013.
The last of the Angola 3, Woodfox is the longest-serving solitary confinement prisoner in the US. His release is expected to be blocked by the appeals court until Friday.
