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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

In Illinois, Calls for Governor to Sign Repeal

Posted on January 18, 2011
"Gov. Quinn should empty Death Row," is the title of an editorial in today's Chicago Sun-Times. If Gov. Quinn signs the bill that would abolish Illinois? death penalty, what happens to the 15 men already on Death Row and perhaps...

Friday

Posted on January 14, 2011
I'm in meetings, but will be updating news later today.

Thursday

Posted on January 13, 2011
I'll be traveling much of Thursday.

Statetement from John Green's Attorneys on CCA Ruling

Posted on January 12, 2011
The following statement has been released by Dick Burr, Casey Kiernan, and Robert Loper; attorneys representing John Green. STATEMENT FROM ATTORNEYS FOR JOHN EDWARD GREEN IN RESPONSE TO TODAY'S RULING BY TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS "We are deeply disappointed...

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CCA Shuts Down Harris County Hearing

Posted on January 12, 2011
The Court of Criminal Appeals opinion in Lykos v. Fine is in Adobe .pdf format. Juan Lozano posts the AP report, "Court: Judge can't rule on Texas death penalty." It's via the Houston Chronicle. Texas' highest criminal court on Wednesday...

Sign Repeal of Death Penalty

Posted on January 12, 2011
That's the title of an editorial in Springfield's State Journal-Register, today. Here are excerpts from this must-read. With the Senate?s vote Tuesday to abolish the death penalty in Illinois, the General Assembly has addressed one of the most difficult and...

News Coverage of the Illinois Senate Vote; Bill to Governor's Desk

Posted on January 12, 2011
Yesterday's Senate vote and last week's House vote on SB 3539 are available in Adobe .pdf format. "Ill. governor weighs bill to abolish death penalty," is the updated AP report, via Google News. Illinois again finds itself at the center...

Tennessee Governor Grants Clemency; Paul House Not on List

Posted on January 12, 2011
Today's Tennessean reports, "Bredesen commutes Edward Harbison's death sentence, pardons 22 others; Governor also exonerates 1." It's written by Brian Haas. Gov. Phil Bredesen on Tuesday pardoned 22 people, exonerated one and commuted the sentences of four, including convicted murderer...

Texas Execution Stayed by Supreme Court

Posted on January 12, 2011
The Supreme Court order staying Cleve Foster's execution is in Adobe .pdf format. The state of Oklahoma carried out its scheduled execution last night. "Ex-recruiter's execution for 2002 Fort Worth slaying is halted at last minute," is the AP report....

Next Week in Houston

Posted on January 11, 2011
"Houston Death Penalty Dialogue to Feature Sister Helen Prejean," is the title of a news release announcing the program, "The Death Penalty: A Dialogue of Religious Leaders." The program is organized by the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use....

In Illinois - Debate Live Now

Posted on January 11, 2011
It appears that the Senate debate on the bill is beginning now. As noted earlier, NCADP is live-tweeting from the Illinois Capitol. Audio of the Senate session is being webcast. "Illinois death penalty ban a step closer to governor's desk,"...

FDA Helps States Get Execution Drug

Posted on January 11, 2011
That's the title of a widely-distributed Associated Press report, via NPR. The Food and Drug Administration helped Arizona and California obtain a quick overseas source of a hard-to-find execution drug even as the agency declared it would not regulate or...

Crunch Day in Illinois

Posted on January 11, 2011
The Illinois General Assembly veto session ends today, and legislation to repeal the death penalty, SB 3539, is one of several bills on the legislators' agenda. NCADP will be live-tweeting from the Illinois Capitol. Audio of the Senate session is...

Missouri Governor Grants Clemency; Execution Was Imminent

Posted on January 11, 2011
Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "Jay Nixon commutes Richard Clay's death sentence to life in prison." It's written by Rebecca Berg. Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday halted the planned execution of convicted murderer Richard Clay, ordering him instead to spend...

Texas Execution

Posted on January 11, 2011
Texas is set to carry out its first execution of 2011, tonight in Huntsville. It would be the state's 465th execution since 1982; the 226th execution under the administration of Governor Rick Perry. Texas has far and away the most...

Illinois Senate Consurs With House in Vote to Repeal Death Penalty

Posted on January 11, 2011
The Illinois Senate vote was 32 for, 25 against, with 2 voting present. The legislation, SB 3539, moves to the desk of Governor Pat Quinn, who has supported and maintained the state's moratorium on execution. He has not said whether...

More on the California Drug Purchase

Posted on January 10, 2011
The San Francisco Chronicle reports, "State buys execution drug from British firm." It's written by Bob Egelko. California prison officials say they're about to receive enough lethal drugs from a British company for more than 80 executions, after running out...

Law Enforcement and the Death Penalty

Posted on January 10, 2011
"Police officials argue death penalty doesn't make us safer," is the title of a Silicon Valley Mercury News OpED written by James Abbott, Antonio Cluny, Bob Denmark and Ronald Hampton. It appeared in the Sunday edition. Abbott is the police...

Supreme Court Rejects Prosecutor's Appeal of Kentucky Case

Posted on January 10, 2011
"US Supreme Court turns away Ky. in death case," is the AP report, via the Lexington Herald-Leader. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up Kentucky's effort to reinstate a death sentence for a man convicted of murder. The...

A Q&A With Alex Bunin

Posted on January 10, 2011
"A voice for the poor in court," is the title of Brian Rogers' interview with Harris County Public Defender Alex Bunin. Here's an extended excerpt: Alex Bunin, hired to create Harris County's first public defender office, will begin working with...

Commentary on the FSC Meeting

Posted on January 10, 2011
Rick Casey writes, "Willingham: Scientists vs. lawyers," for his column in today's Houston Chronicle. The Texas Forensic Science Commission finally heard from scientists Friday regarding the controversial case of Todd Willingham, who was executed for killing his three children in...

News Coverage of the Forensic Science Commission Meeting

Posted on January 10, 2011
Here's the news coverage of Friday's meeting of the Forensic Science Commission meeting. The next post will contain commentary. "Texas panel re-examines arson execution case," is the AP report via Google News. The execution of a Texas man for the...

More Illinois Editorials Urge Repeal

Posted on January 10, 2011
Today's Chicago Sun-Times carries the editorial, "Illinois should end the death penalty." If a state insists on a death penalty, it does so with this knowledge: At some time and at some place, an innocent person will be executed. No...

Illinois House Votes to Repeal Death Penalty; Senate Vote Next

Posted on January 07, 2011
The Illinois State Senate could vote on the measure, SB 3539, on Monday. The AP report is, "Illinois House votes to abolish death penalty," via the Washington Post. The Illinois House has approved a plan to abolish capital punishment in...

Innocence Project Webcasting FSC Hearing

Posted on January 07, 2011
As it has done in the past, the Innocence Project is webcasting today's Forensic Science Commission meeting. As noted in the preceding post, Texas Observer journalist Dave Mann is live tweeting from the FSC meeting.

Forensic Science Commission Meets to Examine Arson Science

Posted on January 07, 2011
The Forensic Science Commission is meeting in Austin, today. "Forensic commission to hear from experts again in Willingham case," is the title of Chuck Lindell's report in today's Austin American-Statesman. The Texas Forensic Science Commission will hear from four fire...

UK Source of Drug Revealed

Posted on January 06, 2011
"UK company supplied execution drugs to Arizona," is the AP report, via Bloomberg. A British company supplied the three drugs used to execute death-row inmates to a prison in Arizona, anti-death penalty advocates said Thursday. Rights group Reprieve said Dream...

New Documents on California Lethal Injection Drug Search

Posted on January 06, 2011
Today's Sacramento Bee reports, "Documents reveal California's desperate search for execution drug." It's written by Sam Stanton. Desperately seeking a drug that would allow them to execute a death row inmate last fall, California prison officials scoured the nation for...

More News Coverage From Illinois

Posted on January 05, 2011
The legislation is SB 3539. Today's Bloomington Pantagraph reports, "Death penalty vote near for lawmakers." It's written by Kiera Manion-Fischer. Lawmakers could vote to abolish the death penalty in Illinois as soon as Wednesday. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood, who...

Commentary on the Illinois Veto Session

Posted on January 05, 2011
There is a great deal of commentary and news coverage of the Illinois General Assembly Veto Session, as a possible vote to repeal the state's death penalty draws near. Let's begin with two opinion pieces. "Illinois' broken death penalty deserves...

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