 Another death warrant scheduled Darden's execution for September 2, 1985, and even though the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his request for a stay of execution that evening, they later agreed to grant Darden a petition for writ of certiorari six hours before he was scheduled to be electrocuted.Overall, six times, Darden received stays of execution prior to the scheduled execution.However, newly elected Florida governor Bob Martinez signed Darden's seventh death warrant in early 1988.