Judge to hear arguments for condemned woman

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Attorneys for a condemned woman hope to convince a federal judge today to grant a stay of execution and order a new clemency hearing.

Wanda Jean Allen is to scheduled to die Thursday night.

Her attorneys say the state Attorney General's office deceived the state Pardon and Parole Board about Allen's education.

Assistant Attorney General Sandy Howard told the board in December that Allen is a high school graduate with a two-year college certificate. Howard says the information came from court transcripts of Allen's testimony.

In fact, Allen dropped out of high school at age 15.

Defense lawyers say Allen is mentally retarded and has an I-Q of 69.

Meanwhile, the Reverend Jesse Jackson plans a return trip to Oklahoma today to meet with ministers and death penalty opponents.

Allen would be the first woman executed in Oklahoma since statehood and the first black woman put to death in the U-S since 1954.