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StandDown Texas Project

Texas-centric examination of conditions, reform initiatives, and emerging issues related to best practices in the indigent criminal justice system with particular attention to issues involving capital punishment and the administration of the death penalty.
By StandDown Texas Project

Post Frequency: 49.3/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 14:21:29

More on Judge Fine and the Harris County Case

Posted on March 10, 2010
Yesterday afternoon I linked to coverage of the brief hearing in Judge Kevin Fine's 177th State District Court. There's additional coverage and commentary this morning. Mary Alice Robbins has posted, "Texas Judge Rescinds His Own Order Over Constitutionality of Death...

Sam Millsap on the Skinner Case

Posted on March 10, 2010
Today's Houston Chronicle carries an OpEd, "DNA testing works, but not if we fail to utilize it," written by Sam Millsap, the former Bexar County District Attorney. Here's an extended excerpt from this must-read: Last week, Gov. Rick Perry granted...

An Update on Betsey Wright

Posted on March 10, 2010
"Ex-Clinton Aide Looks to Death Row to Aid Her Defense," is the report written by Ann Zimmerman and Sephanie Simon for today's Wall Street Journal. A former top aide to Bill Clinton, charged with trying to smuggle contraband to a...

Atkins Prosecutor in Virginia Faces Misconduct Hearing

Posted on March 10, 2010
The Newport News Daily Press reports, "Prosecutorial misconduct case against York-Poquoson commonwealth's attorney moves forward." It's written by Jon Cawley and appeared in the March 6 edition. York-Poquoson Commonwealth's Attorney Eileen Addison and Newport News attorney Cathy Krinick will face...

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The Reginald Clemons Case in Missouri

Posted on March 10, 2010
It's been a controversial case for nearly two decades. Recent developments only add to the questions. Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "St. Louis police say they had Clemons evidence all along," by Christine Byers. Lawyers in the Chain of Rocks...

New Mexico Watches Harris County Ruling

Posted on March 09, 2010
Though State District Judge Kevin Fine's ruling in one pending case is very limited in its scope, it is getting noticed. Today's Clovis News Journal in New Mexico carries the editorial, "Death penalty comes with too high a price." ?It?s...

Judge's Critics Not Arguing Right Facts

Posted on March 09, 2010
That's the title of an editorial in today's Galveston Daily News, signed by Heber Taylor. LINK Since State District Judge Kevin Fine of Houston declared the death penalty unconstitutional, critics have pointed out that he: A. Is a Democrat. B....

The Full AP Report on the Harris County Case

Posted on March 09, 2010
Juan Lozano's full AP report, "Texas judge rescinds anti-death penalty ruling," is now available via Google News. A Texas judge who came under criticism for his ruling declaring the death penalty unconstitutional took back his controversial decision on Tuesday...

Update on the Hank Skinner Case

Posted on March 09, 2010
Attorneys for Hank Skinner have filed a Motion for Remand with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Skinner is scheduled to be executed March 24. Earlier the month, without a hearing, the state district court with authority over the case...

State District Judge Rescinds Order; Schedules April Hearing

Posted on March 09, 2010
State District Judge Kevin Fine held a brief hearing today in the case of John Green. AP reports, "Judge rescinds ruling striking down death penalty," via the Houston Chronicle. A state district judge in Houston has rescinded a highly criticized...

Changes to Kentucky Lethal Injection Protocol Advance

Posted on March 09, 2010
"Committee Discusses Lethal Injection Protocol," is the AP report via Nashville's WTVQ-TV. Kentucky's method of executing condemned prisoners could be in place again by May after a legislative committee raised no objection to the state's three-drug lethal injection protocol...

Tennessee Shifts Execution Time

Posted on March 09, 2010
Today's Maryville Daily Times carries the AP report, "Tennessee moves execution time from 1 a.m. to 10 p.m.," written by Lucas L. Johnson II. The Tennessee Department of Correction said Monday that state executions will be moved up three hours...

State Legislative Roundup

Posted on March 09, 2010
There is a state legislative news today from Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia. Let's begin in Connecticut with, "Death Penalty Bill On Agenda For Wednesday Public Hearing; Bill Would Attempt To Streamline Process," posted by Amanda Falcone at the Hartford Courant's...

More Coverage of Phillips' Scholarship

Posted on March 08, 2010
UPI today posts, "Some victims matter more than others," on its wire. A study of a Texas county found a defendant is much more likely to be sentenced to death if he or she kills a so-called high-status victim, researchers...

More Coverage of Phillips' Scholarship

New Hampshire Home Invasion Bill to Get Wednesday Vote

Posted on March 08, 2010
"NH Senate To Vote On Death Penalty Bill," is the AP report via WBZ-TV. New Hampshire's Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on capital murder legislation named after a Mont Vernon woman killed with a machete in her bed during...

The Death Penalty in Texas: A Change of Heart?

Posted on March 08, 2010
That's the title of Jordan Smith's must-read post at the Crime Report. LINK On Sept. 21, 2006, Juan Quintero, an undocumented Mexican national, was arrested after a routine traffic stop in Houston. The arresting officer, Rodney Johnson, frisked and cuffed...

Documents From the Harris County Case

Posted on March 08, 2010
Mark Bennett is doing a great job at his Defending People blog making the documents available in the Harris County case in front of State District Judge Kevin Fine. The original motion that Judge Fine signed is here. On Friday,...

More Coverage From Harris County

Posted on March 08, 2010
"Judge clarifies ruling criticizing death penalty," is the title of Brian Rogers report from the Saturday edition of the Houston Chronicle. A Houston judge who declared the death penalty unconstitutional Thursday clarified his ruling in an impromptu hearing Friday, saying...

New Trial Ordered in Controversial New Orleans Death Case

Posted on March 08, 2010
"Judge grants Michael Anderson new trial in 2006 Central City massacre case," is the title of Gwen Filosa's post at the New Orleans Times-Picayune. An Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge today granted a new trial for Michael Anderson in...

More on the Charles Dean Hood Case

Posted on March 05, 2010
Jordan Smith writes, "New Hearing for Death Row Inmate," in the current issue of the Austin Chronicle. What still remains to be answered is whether Hood should receive a brand new trial in his case ? a question pending in...

More on Scott Phillips' Scholarship on Race & the Death Penalty

Posted on March 05, 2010
"Study figures odds of killer getting death," is the title of Peggy O'Hare's report in today's Houston Chronicle. The death penalty is more likely to be imposed on convicted murderers who kill whites or Hispanics who have college degrees, are...

More From Frank Baumgartner on the North Carolina Death Penalty

Posted on March 05, 2010
Today's Charlotte Observer carries the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill political science professor's OpEd, "In N.C., only 20 percent of condemned are executed." Here's an extended excerpt from Baumgartner's OpEd: To the litany of woes facing North Carolina's...

The Pre-Trial Motion Judge Fine Ruled On

Posted on March 05, 2010
At his Defending People blog, attorney Mark Bennett has the motion that Judge Fine signed. It's posted at, "Even in Texas, Death Penalty Still Constitutional." The motion that Judge fine did grant was the defendant?s Motion to Hold that Texas...

Harris County State District Judge Declares Texas Death Penalty Unconstitutional

Posted on March 05, 2010
The ruling applies to a particular case in the 177th State District Court. Harris County prosecutors have already vowed to appeal, and the ruling is not likely to stand for long. The judge's action, however, will likely increase debate over...

Austin Reading of the Play, 'Earnest' - This Saturday

Posted on March 04, 2010
Retired Episcopal Bishop Joe Doss presents a public reading of the play this Saturday, March 6. The reading will be at the Carver Branch Library (1611 Angelina, just one mile east of the Texas Capitol) at 2:00 pm. Bishop Doss...

Lethal Injection Challenge Dismissed in Arkansas

Posted on March 04, 2010
The Arkansas News Bureau reports, "Judge dismisses suit challenging lethal injection law," written by Rob Moritz. A federal judge has dismissed a death-row inmate?s lawsuit challenging Arkansas? year-old law that details the state?s lethal injection procedures...

Lethal Injection and Kentucky

Posted on March 04, 2010
"Judge refuses to halt hearing on Ky. execution method," is the title of Brett Barrouquere's AP report, via the Louisville Courier-Journal. Saying he does not have authority over the General Assembly, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd on Wednesday declined to...

The Death Penalty Is Dying

Posted on March 03, 2010
That's the title of actor and activist Mike Farrell's latest post at Huffington Post. LINK As president of the board of Death Penalty Focus, an abolition organization, I find myself discussing executions a lot. Whether to kill a person who...

Execution Date Set for David Lee Powell

Posted on March 03, 2010
Tony Plohetski reports, " Execution date set for police killer," in today's Austin American-Statesman. A state district judge has set an execution date for David Lee Powell, convicted and sentenced to die by three separate juries in the fatal shooting...

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