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

Criminal Law

: StandDown Texas Project

Additional News Coverage of the Hank Skinner Stay

By Steve Hall

Allan Turner writes, "Justices may opt to settle DNA issue," in today's Houston Chronicle.The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday stayed Skinner's execution to consider taking up his lawyers' writ of certiorari seeking review of a lower court's rejection of Skinner's civil rights request for such testing. Skinner's lead attorney, Rob Owen of the University of Texas' Capital Punishment Center, called on the court to resolve the question, noting that, at present, five circuit courts allow civil rights claims, two do not and five others are undecided.The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit U.S. District Court denied Skinner's request for DNA testing of bloody knives, material found beneath his victim's fingernails, rape kit samples and other items found at the crime scene in the Panhandle town of Pampa...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on March 26, 2010 (boomark / email).