Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> StandDown Texas Project

Criminal Law

: StandDown Texas Project

Avoiding Overkill

By standdown

That's the title of an editorial in today's Dallas Morning News concerning the case of Johnny Paul Penry.  LINK The Penry legal marathon parallels a shift toward more civilized legal practices. In its first review of his case, in 1989, the Supreme Court said executing mentally retarded people was permissible. Thirteen years later, the court cited the nation's "evolving standards of decency" in declaring the practice unconstitutional. There has also been a welcome shift, at least toward practicality, in Texas' Polk County. Last week, the DA there avoided the overkill of a fourth sentencing trial for Mr. Penry. The plea deal guarantees him life in prison while extracting a calculated stipulation from his lawyers that he is not mentally retarded...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on February 20, 2008 (boomark / email).