A judge rules that an Arizona prisoner is psychologically fit to be executed

A judge has ruled that Clarence Dixon, an Arizona prisoner convicted in the 1978 killing of a university student, is mentally fit to be put to death next week. (Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry via AP, File)

PHOENIX — A judge has ruled that an Arizona prisoner convicted in the 1978 killing of a university student is mentally fit to be put to death next week, keeping on track what would be the first execution in the state in nearly eight years.

In a ruling signed shortly before midnight Tuesday and released on Wednesday, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson rejected an argument from defense lawyers that Clarence Dixon's psychological problems prevent him from rationally understanding why the state wants to end his life.