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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

Georgia and LWoP

Posted on March 31, 2009
"Life with no parole: It's use may expand," is the Florida Times-Union report about Georgia legislation poised to become law. It's written by Teresa Stepzinski. A measure that would allow prosecutors to seek life without parole sentences in non-death penalty...

Formula for Failure

Posted on March 31, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Sarasota Herald-Tribune about budget problems in Florida's indigent criminal justice system. LINK Florida's recession-driven budget crisis provides little time for legislators to think about transforming criminal-sentencing laws and prison policies...

Feingold Is Eager for Some Victories

Posted on March 31, 2009
That's the title of an article in Roll Call this morning on U.S. Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. It's written by Jessica Brady. LINK Sen. Russ Feingold?s (D-Wis.) early moves this year to ban the death penalty and amend the...

News Coverage from Montana

Posted on March 31, 2009
"House panel votes down bill to abolish the death penalty," is Mike Dennison's report in the Helena Independent Record. A House committee this morning voted down the bill to abolish the death penalty in Montana, likely killing the bill. On...

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Texans for Public Justice Files Complaint Against Keller

Posted on March 31, 2009
The watchdog group Texans for Public Justice has filed a criminal complaint against CCA Presiding Judge Keller over her failure to disclose assets in required annual filings with the Texas Ethics Commission. TPJ has issued the news release, "TPJ Criminal...

Whatever Judge Keller Is Hiding, It's Not Good Sense

Posted on March 31, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Dallas Morning News, fresh on the heels of DMN journalist Steve McGonigle's reporting that the CCA Presiding Judge failed to disclose assets on her required ethics filings. LINK Just what is Judge...

Jose Briseno

Posted on March 30, 2009
Jose Briseno is scheduled to be executed by Texas on Tuesday, April 7. A clemency petition has been filed on his behalf with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Supporters of Mr. Briseno are urging people to learn about...

Imprisoned by the Past: The Enduring Role of Race in the American Death Penalty

Posted on March 30, 2009
That's the title of a symposium to be held Thursday, April 16 at UT Law. It's presented by the UT Law's Capital Punishment Center and co-sponsored by the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law. It will be held...

Montana House Judiciary Committe Tables SB 236

Posted on March 30, 2009
The vote to table was approved by a vote of 11 yes, 7 no. The motion to table likely has the effectively of killing the bill for this legislative session. The Judiciary Committee agreed to table the bill after a...

Virginia Death Penalty Expansion Vetoed

Posted on March 30, 2009
As expected, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine vetoed legislation that would have expanded the state's death penalty. AP reports, "Va. governor vetoes bills to expand death penalty,"via Google News. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine vetoed legislation Friday that would have extended the...

End Could Be Near for PD Council

Posted on March 30, 2009
That's the title of a report in today's Fulton County Report regarding the Georgia indigent defense entity. It's subtitled, "House committee approves SB 42 to move control of state's indigent defense system to governor, Legislature," and is written by Andy...

Editorial Roundup

Posted on March 30, 2009
The Capital of Annapolis published the editorial, "Messy death penalty bill less a 'reform' than a quasi-repeal," in the Sunday edition. Gov. Martin O'Malley is a pragmatic politician. But perhaps he let some romantic idealism color his thinking when he...

Dallas Morning News Editorials

Posted on March 30, 2009
The Dallas Morning News, which supports abolition of the death penalty, keeps its spotlight on the Texas Legislature with two editorials this weekend. First is, "Don't prejudice juries against mentally retarded." Seven years have passed since the U.S...

More Woes for CCA Presiding Judge Keller

Posted on March 30, 2009
"Judge Keller's disclosures omit nearly $2 million in real estate, public records show," is Steve McGonigle's report in today's Dallas Morning News. The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, while seeking state aid to defend herself against...

A Physician Reflects in Alabama

Posted on March 27, 2009
"State-sanctioned sin," is Robert Bladwin's OpEd in today's Montgomery Advertiser. He is Birmingham physician and chairman of the Alabama Ear Institute. It was June 1963 in Tuscaloosa, and I was standing 15-20 feet from then-Gov. George Wallace fulfilling his campaign...

Clinton Unplugged

Posted on March 27, 2009
That's the title of a Jay Brummett's recent column from the Arkansas News Bureau. We already knew it, well before he told us so Friday evening at his presidential library during an otherwise jovial and comedic reunion conversation by three...

The Moratorium Remains in Illinois

Posted on March 27, 2009
"Quinn won't end death penalty moratorium," is Eric Naing's report in the Peoria Journal Star. Gov. Pat Quinn says he "is not willing" to lift the moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois right now. The governor, who just wrapped...

Rick Casey on Judge Sharon Keller's Right to Counsel

Posted on March 27, 2009
His latest Houston Chronicle column is, "Let's give Judge Keller a free lawyer." Here's an extended excerpt: Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, says the State of Texas is violating her constitutional rights. We are...

Slow-Death Capital Punishment Affirmed

Posted on March 27, 2009
That's the title of Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jim Wooten's blog post. It refers to legislation that will allow Georgia prosecutors to seek a life without paroles sentence in capital cases. Current Georgia law allows that sentence in capital case only...

Repealing Death Penalty Right Choice

Posted on March 27, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Portsmouth Herald in New Hampshire. LINK This has been a busy week in the New Hampshire Legislature with votes taking place on a number of controversial pieces of legislation. Here's our view...

Convicting the Innocent: Texas Justice Derailed

Posted on March 27, 2009
That's the title of the Justice Project's latest report, and it focuses on Texas wrongful convictions. You can read the report here; or download a copy in Adobe .pdf format. This is from the introduction: Since 1994, Texas has exonerated...

Maryland House Approves Death Penalty Limits

Posted on March 27, 2009
More on SB 279, including different versions of the bill, is from the Maryland General Assembly. I'm not certain that the final version is up, yet, but it will be posted at the link, soon. "Md. House OKs death penalty...

In the Texas Legislature

Posted on March 26, 2009
This morning the Death Penalty Subcommittee of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee hears two proposals from Rep. Senfronia Thompson. HB 1148 and HJR 58 together would give the Texas governor authority to issue more than one reprieve in a death...

Convicting the Innocent: Texas Justice Derailed

Posted on March 26, 2009
That's the title of the Justice Project's latest report, and it focuses on Texas wrongful convictions. You can read the report here; or download a copy in Adobe .pdf format. This is from the introduction: Since 1994, Texas has exonerated...

A Note from Montana

Posted on March 26, 2009
The Montana House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Monday on Senator Dave Wanzenried's Senate Bill 236 which was heard by the Committee yesterday. Observers are expecting a close vote. Montana's legislature will adjourn April 21, according to this report...

Georgia

Posted on March 26, 2009
"Vote clears path to life without parole," by Bill Rankin, Aaron Gould Sheinin is in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Georgia prosecutors will have more leeway to put killers behind bars until they die under legislation given final approval Wednesday by the...

Arkansas Lethal Injection Legislation

Posted on March 26, 2009
"Bill to keep executions from public study stalls," is Charlie Frago's report in today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette. An attempt to amend state laws on executions stalled in a Senate committee Wednesday after members questioned the need for secrecy about what...

In Today's Philadephia Inquirer

Posted on March 26, 2009
There is a slew of state legislative news today. Let's begin with an editorial from today's paper, "Death Penalty: State must end it now." Pennsylvania, with the nation's fourth-largest death row, has as much reason - if not more -...

Maryland Legislation on Path to Governor

Posted on March 25, 2009
"Restrictions on death penalty move forward in House," is Julie Bykowicz' report for the Baltimore Sun. The House of Delegates on Wednesday rejected a Republican-led effort to alter proposed restrictions on capital punishment in Maryland and have advanced a plan...

NH Legislators Endorse Repealing Death Penalty

Posted on March 25, 2009
That's the title of a breaking news report from AP, via Google News. LINK Three months after a man was sentenced to die for killing a police officer ? New Hampshire's first death sentence in 50 years ? the House...

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