Court won't free convicted priest to d..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Toledo, Ohio • A federal court has denied a request from a dying Roman Catholic priest who was convicted of killing a nun in 1980 and hoped to spend his final days in his Ohio hometown.

The Rev. Gerald Robinson's attorney told the court the priest has been in a Columbus prison hospice unit since the end of May after suffering a heart attack and wants to die in Toledo. They asked the court to release Robinson to the care of relatives.

A U.S. district judge rejected the request Wednesday, concluding his court doesn't have jurisdiction to grant such compassionate release. He says Robinson isn't eligible for such relief under federal law and Ohio law on the issue excludes prisoners serving time for murder.

A message seeking comment was left for Robinson's attorney.

Court won't free convicted priest to die at home