17 October 2018 :

Mobile County judge James Patterson switched the death sentence of Lam Luong to life in prison. Luong was given the death penalty in 2009 after throwing his 4 children off a bridge in 2008 had his sentenced reduced to life without a parole after 2 independent psychologists said that his IQ did not meet the state minimum to be executed. Luong, 48, was born in Vietnam before moving to the United States as a teenager. Attorneys for Luong hired a licensed psychologist and developmental neuropsychologist to determine their clients IQ, which had never been done at the initial trial. His IQ was measured at 57, said Rich. An independent licensed psychologist hired by the Alabama Attorney General's Office, which sought to appeal the test's findings, measured Luong's IQ even lower, at 51. Because of the intellectual disability finding, District Court Judge James Patterson, had to accept an agreement to commute the death penalty. The sentence was reduced Monday to life in prison without parole.