California IN BRIEF : SAN JOSE : Way Cleared for Execution of Killer

A federal judge granted multiple murderer David Mason’s request to dismiss an appeal of his death sentence, which could be carried out by August. U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte had ruled June 7 that Mason was mentally competent to fire his court-appointed lawyer and drop his federal court challenge to his death sentence. After written approval from Mason, Whyte signed an order dismissing the appeal, said state Deputy Atty. Gen. Catherine Rivlin. The case now returns to Alameda County Superior Court for a new execution date. Assistant Dist. Atty. James Anderson said he would ask Judge Jacqueline Taber to hold a hearing June 28 and set the execution date 30 to 60 days later. Mason, 36, was sentenced to death for strangling four elderly Oakland residents in 1980 and killing a fellow jail inmate while awaiting trial.