And in Alabama, officials postponed the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm, who was scheduled to die Thursday evening for the 1987 death of a motel clerk during a robbery. Hamm fought his death sentence, arguing there was a risk of a botched execution because of damage to his veins from lymphoma and other illnesses. The U.S. Supreme Court delayed the execution Thursday evening to consider Hamm's request to block it, but then gave the go-ahead about 9 p.m. Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said there was not enough time to prepare Hamm before the death warrant expired at midnight.