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Future Dangerousness, Race, and Ethnicity

By standdown

Texas is unique in its reliance on predictions of future behavior in determining death sentences.  To be sentenced to death in Texas, the jury must find that, "there is a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society.?The state usually relies on expert witnesses who testify that the defendant will be a future danger.  Sometimes these expert witnesses are psychologist.  It should first be noted that the American Psychological Association rejects the notion, and has sanctioned members who have provided such testimony.Taking the prediction to an even greater length, clinic psychologist Walter Quijano testified in a small number of Texas cases that since minorities comprise a disproportionately large percentage of the prison population that fact alone indicates they are likely to be dangerous...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on December 16, 2008 (boomark / email).