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Criminal Law

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

Even Texans Re-Thinking Death Penalty Due to Cost

Posted on February 16, 2010
"States weigh staggering cost of death penalty of death penalty," is the title of an MSNBC web-only report by Mike Taibbi of NBC News. You can watch the video at the link; a commercial may stream first. Here's a transcript...

Murder Victims' Families

Posted on February 15, 2010
Susannah Sheffer writes that Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights has a new website. MVFHR is an international, non-governmental organization of family members of murder victims and family members of the executed, all of whom oppose the death penalty in...

Death Row Inmates in Idaho Rarely Executed

Posted on February 15, 2010
That's the title of a report in today's Idaho Press-Tribune. It's written by Sharon Strauss. LINK Placing an offender on death row in Idaho is more expensive than housing that inmate for life. A costly and lengthy appeals process makes...

Budget Issues in Florida Causing Shifts in Criminal Justice

Posted on February 15, 2010
"Crist, others support inmate rehab programs in tight budget," is the title of a report in today's St. Petersburg Times written by John Frank. Gov. Charlie Crist, once known for his support of prison chain gangs, is embracing an inmate...

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Louisiana Sues Death Row Inmates

Posted on February 15, 2010
Huffington Post reports, "Louisiana Sues 84 Death Row Inmates To Block Lethal Injection Lawsuits," via Solitary Watch. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections last Friday sued every inmate on death row, in an effort to block any one...

Virginians Should Say No to Expanding Death Penalty

Posted on February 15, 2010
That's the title of John Whitehead's latest commentary at the Rutherford Institute. LINK As capital punishment studies have shown, whether or not you are sentenced to death often has little to do with the crime and everything to do with...

Kansas Abolition Bill in Limbo

Posted on February 15, 2010
"Death penalty debate murky," is the title of Barbara Hollingsworth's report from the Saturday edition of the Topeka Capital-Journal. Efforts to repeal the death penalty in Kansas may die quietly without being taken to the Senate floor for debate. Two...

Politifact on the Shami Statement

Posted on February 15, 2010
In Sunday's Austin American-Statesman, Politifact examined Farouk Shami's statement from last week's Democratic gubernatorial candidates' debate, "Farouk Shami says state of Texas has killed lots of innocent people." At a televised debate Monday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Farouk Shami said he...

New Texas Public Opinion Polling

Posted on February 15, 2010
Today's Texas Tribune continues reporting on the results of a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. It's a fascinating snapshot of Texans and their attitudes on a variety of issues, with a definite focus on the March 2nd Democratic and Republican...

More on the Case of Larry Swearingen

Posted on February 12, 2010
Dave Mann has posted, "Possibly Innocent Man Loses Another Appeal," at the Texas Observer Contrarian blog. Larry Swearingen lost another appeal yesterday. This wasn't all that surprising. For one, The Court of Criminal Appeals?which turned down his request for more...

Death and Texas

Posted on February 12, 2010
That's the title of Dahlia Lithwick's reivew of David Dow's Autobiography of an Execution, in today's New York Times. LINK Toward the beginning of ?The Auto�biography of an Execution,? David Dow relaxes after a speech with the celebrated death penalty...

CCA Rejects DNA Testing in Larry Swearingen Case

Posted on February 11, 2010
The ruling is here. Michael Graczyk writes the AP report, "Condemned killer of college student loses appeal," via the Dallas Morning News. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected a request Wednesday from the condemned killer of a 19-year-old Montgomery...

Nebraska Governor Approves Lethal Injection Protocol

Posted on February 11, 2010
"Neb. governor signs off on lethal injection," is the title of Nate Jenkins' AP report via the Columbus Telegram. Gov. Dave Heineman approved a lethal-injection protocol for Nebraska on Wednesday, ending the death penalty's monthslong limbo in the state and...

Innocents Executed?

Posted on February 11, 2010
In Monday's Democratic Party gubernatorial debate, businessman Farouk Shami stated that Texas has executed innocent people. (See transcript, here; news coverage, here.) He's taken some criticism for that assertion, most notably the Dallas Morning News editorial, noted here...

Mumia Abu-Jamal's Case Stuck in Limbo

Posted on February 10, 2010
That's the title of Dave Lindorff's detailed post at CounterPunch on the latest developments in the controversial Pennsylvania case. LINK The recent decision by the US Supreme Court to send convicted police killer Mumia Abu-Jamal?s case back down to the...

News Coverage of DSM-V

Posted on February 10, 2010
The American Psychiatric Association has released a beta version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM-V website is live as of today. The APA will be accepting comments to the proposed revision before it is published.....

Michael Dorf on the Judging

Posted on February 10, 2010
Dorf's latest column at FindLaw.com is, "Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, and the Noble Lie." Here's an extended excerpt: Last week, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas answered a wide range of student questions during his visit to the University of Florida...

Kansas Pretends Its Capital Punishment System Is Working

Posted on February 10, 2010
That's the title of a column in today's Kansas City Star by Mike Hendricks. LINK The macabre open house was held specially for the media. Photographers shot pictures for their files as reporters scribbled notes. On where the 13 witnesses...

The New Hampshire Home Invasion Legislation

Posted on February 10, 2010
Tom Fahey writes, "Panel eyes death penalty for home invasion killings," for the state's Union Leader newspaper. The teens accused of killing Kimberly Cates in her Mont Vernon home last fall were labeled barbarians and deviants yesterday by both sides...

South Dakota Repeal Bill Gets Hearing Today

Posted on February 10, 2010
"Death Penalty Repeal Returns," is the title of Jerry Oster's report for Public News Service. Today, a bill that would repeal the death penalty in South Dakota will be heard in the House State Affairs Committee. HB 1245 would mandate...

Judge Sarokin on the Skinner Case and Post-Conviction DNA Testing

Posted on February 10, 2010
Retired Federal District Judge H. Lee Sarokin posts, "Thwarting Justice by Denying DNA Testing," at Huffington Post this afternoon. It is disheartening to hear of prosecutors opposing DNA tests which may prove the innocence of persons facing the death penalty...

Charlie Wilson, 1933 - 2010 - UPDATED

Posted on February 10, 2010
He was a charming, smiling character -- almost literally larger than life -- when he roamed the Texas State Senate and later the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented a portion of East Texas centered around Diboll, just outside of...

Kansas Senate Preparing for Repeal Debate

Posted on February 09, 2010
"Repeal tests Senate," is the title of John Milburn's AP report for the Arkansas City Traveler. Sixteen years ago, Gov. Joan Finney allowed a death penalty bill to become law without her signature. The feisty Democrat said she was doing...

Oklahoma Legislation

Posted on February 09, 2010
"Okla. panel OKs death sentence for child rapists," is the title of an AP report by Sean Murphy, via the Alva Review.Repeat sex offenders convicted of raping a child 6 years old or younger would be eligible for the death...

The Arkansas Lethal Injection Ruling - What It May Mean for Nebraska

Posted on February 09, 2010
Yesterday, I noted the 8th Circuit ruling and initial news coverage. Today, AP writer Nate Jenkins reports, "Court ruling could be sign for Neb. death penalty," via the Columbus Telegraph. Nebraska death-penalty supporters got a sign from Arkansas on Monday...

Texas Office of Capital Writs Searching for Director

Posted on February 09, 2010
The Office of Capital Writs, created by the Texas Legislature in 2009, is on about looking for a director. Here's the posting:Job Posting: Director, Texas Office of Capital Writs Brand new Texas Office of Capital Writs seeks a Director. The...

Perry's Brazen Abuse of Power

Posted on February 09, 2010
That's the title of a San Antonio Express-News editorial. It appeared in the Sunday edition. LINK When the going was about to get tough for Gov. Rick Perry at the Texas Forensic Science Commission last fall, Perry sacked three commission...

Debate Commentary

Posted on February 09, 2010
Today's Dallas Morning News carries the editorial, "White shines in Democratic debate." Last night's gubernatorial primary debate between former Houston Mayor Bill White and businessman Farouk Shami went a long way to convincing Democratic voters which candidate deserves to lead...

News Coverage of the Democratic Debate

Posted on February 09, 2010
For those looking for what was said on the death penalty, here are the excerpts. If you want a better read of the politics, please follow the links to read the entire articles. An excellent primer is Sean Sullivan's post,...

Tonight's Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Debate

Posted on February 09, 2010
Last month, the Texas Debates sponsored a debate among the three major Republican candidates for governor. Tonight, organizers held a debate between the two major Democratic candidates, businessman Farouk Shami and former Houston mayor Bill White. There was one question...

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