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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

Dallas County DA Expands Open File Policy

Posted on October 14, 2008
John Council reports, "New Open-File Policy Includes Appellate Info," in the October 6 Texas Lawyer.When Craig Watkins took over as Dallas County district attorney in January 2007, one of the first big administrative changes he made was instituting an open-file...

Now Is the Time to Atone for the Death Penalty

Posted on October 14, 2008
That's the title of an OpEd by two respected death penalty litigators, Marshall Dayan and Ronald Tabak. It appeared in Monday's Jewish Chronicle. LINKThis month we celebrate Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. October is also significant for one dismaying fact:...

The Harris County District Attorney's Race

Posted on October 13, 2008
"Race for DA puts justice system on trial," is Alan Bernstein's report in the Sunday Houston Chronicle. Harris County voters looking for a district attorney candidate with a "tough on crime" theme are out of luck this fall. The situation...

More on the Morning News Series

Posted on October 13, 2008
I also want to highlight some additional reporting by Steve McGonigle and Jennifer Emily at the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog. They are providing additional material to supplement their major news series, "DNA Exonerations." Earlier this morning, Jennifer Emily posted,...

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DNA Exonerations

Posted on October 13, 2008
That's the title of a major three-part series reported by Steve McGonigle and Jennifer Emily in the Dallas Morning News. The series front, with video, is here.For nearly a century, police and prosecutors have been on notice that relying on...

A State of Unequal Justice

Posted on October 13, 2008
That's the title of an editorial column from Alabama's Huntsville Times. It's written by Stephen Stetson for the paper. LINKIn Alabama, poor defendants face risky prospects He's not a lawyer, but he shills for one on TV. The Associated Press...

In Georgia

Posted on October 13, 2008
"DeKalb, Fulton juries resist giving death penalty," is the report in Sunday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, written by David Simpson and Steve Visser.After the death penalty trial of Brian Nichols, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard plans to seek the ultimate punishment...

More Judges Under Investigation

Posted on October 13, 2008
That's the title of an article in today's Houston Chronicle by Lise Olsen. It's subtitled, "Experts call 5 ongoing probes of federal judges unprecedented."U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent is the first federal judge to be indicted for alleged federal sex...

In Ohio

Posted on October 10, 2008
"Courts Reject Inmate?s Petition Claiming He is too Fat for Execution," is Debra Cassens Weiss' article on today's ABA Journal web edition.Two appellate courts have rejected a convicted murderer?s request for a stay of execution that contends his obesity makes...

Leonard Pitts on Troy Davis

Posted on October 10, 2008
"Compassion, certainly, but justice, too," is the award-winning columnist's view of the Troy Davis case. It appeared in last Saturday's Miami Herald. Pitts' syndicated column appears in newspapers across the country.The first time, Troy Davis came within 24 hours of...

Scheduled Executions

Posted on October 10, 2008
"Execution Near for 12 on Texas Death Row," is the AP report via the Tyler Morning Telegraph. The crowd on A-Wing A-Section at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit is about to get thinned. A dozen condemned inmates...

In Montana

Posted on October 09, 2008
The Great Falls Tribune reports, "Kaczynski, others speak out against death penalty."With personal tales of anger, grief and forgiveness, David Kaczynski and others with close connections to horrible crimes spoke out against the death penalty Wednesday night at Holy Spirit...

Civil Suit Against CCA Presiding Judge Keller Dismissed

Posted on October 09, 2008
"Keller Immune to Justice," is Jordan Smith's report in the Austin Chronicle.According to federal district Judge Lee Yeakel's ruling last week, Court of Criminal Appeals presiding Judge Sharon Keller enjoys "judicial immunity," which insulates her from being sued for violating...

How Many Innocent People Has Harris County Sent to Prison?

Posted on October 09, 2008
That's the title of Randall Patterson's lengthy article in the current Houston Press. LINK Here'a an extended excerpt from the beginning:Ronald Gene Taylor's long night began one morning 15 years ago when he was awakened by the sound of police...

Racial Disparities in Capital Punishment: Blind Justice Requires a Blindfold

Posted on October 08, 2008
That's the title of an Issue Brief from the American Constitution Society written by Scott Phillips of the University of Denver. It's in Adobe .pdf format at this LINK Here's the digest from ACS:In this Issue Brief, Professor Phillips describes...

In Missouri

Posted on October 08, 2008
"Missouri: Lawsuit challenges execution procedures," is the AP report via the Joplin Globe.A group of inmates, families, clergy and lawmakers asked the state?s highest court Tuesday to toss out Missouri?s roughly 2-year-old execution protocols. It?s the most recent legal challenge...

Mortal Justice

Posted on October 08, 2008
That's the title of a book to be published in March by Jeanette Popp. In the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog Diane Jennings writes, "Mother of 1988 Austin murder victim writing book."Graham resident Jeanette Popp has been trying to make...

At the Supreme Court

Posted on October 07, 2008
"12 Texas death row inmates lose at Supreme Court," is the title of Mike Graczyk's AP report via the Houston Chronicle.A dozen condemned Texas inmates, including one set to die next week and one of the few women on death...

More Death Row Realism

Posted on October 06, 2008
Today's Austin American-Statesman reprints Jeanne Woodford's must-read OpEd, "Death Row Realism," published last week by the Los Angeles Times, as noted in this post. Woodford is a former director of the California prison system and former warden at San Quentin...

An Update on the Troy Davis Case

Posted on October 06, 2008
At SCOTUS Blog this morning, Lyle Denniston reports, "No action on Georgia capital case."The Supreme Court, opening a new Term Monday, took no action on an appeal testing whether it is unconstitutional to execute a death-row inmate who has a...

The El Paso Mayor

Posted on October 06, 2008
"Mayor Cook on guitar against Texas's death penalty," is the title of Brandi Grissom's profile of John Cook in today's El Paso Times. Here's an excerpt from the beginning:In a dark blue pin-striped suit, crisp white dress shirt, snug red...

Hood Case Bruises Texas Judicial Trust

Posted on October 06, 2008
That's the title of an editorial in Saturday's San Antonio Express-News. LINKWhen the November elections arrive, most voters will focus on the top of the ballot, especially the fierce battle for president. But, when they scroll down further, they will...

Finality Over Fairness

Posted on October 03, 2008
That's the title of a post at ACS Blog by the distinguished former jurist and former Director of the FBI, William Sessions. It his latest thoughts on the Troy Davis case in Georgia. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay...

The Michael Toney Case

Posted on October 03, 2008
"Death row inmate may get new trial," is the AP report via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Prosecutors and defense attorneys have filed documents asking for a new trial for death row inmate Michael Toney, saying the state's lead prosecutor improperly withheld...

Rev. Carroll Pickett: The Evolution of a Death Penalty Opponent

Posted on October 02, 2008
That's the title of an interview with Carroll Pickett on the Dallas Morning News editorial page. LINK For 15 years, the Rev. Carroll Pickett was a witness to state-sanctioned death. As a prison chaplain in Hunstville, he presided over 95...

Supreme Court Revises Kennedy v. Louisiana - Rejects Rehearing

Posted on October 02, 2008
While I was arriving and departing various airports today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a revision to its opinion in Kennedy v. Louisiana, and rejected a request by Louisiana for a rehearing of the case. Let's start with the initial...

A Preview of the Supreme Court Term

Posted on October 02, 2008
While the Court has announced the results of its conference of this past Monday, the Court's term begins next Monday, October 6 -- the first Monday in October -- when three cases will be argued. At Stateline, John Gramlich provides...

Richard Tabler Seeks Execution Date

Posted on October 02, 2008
The Killeen Daily Herald reports, "Tabler asks state to kill him."Richard Tabler has politely asked to die. Tabler, 30, of Killeen, admitted to killing four people during a spree during Thanksgiving weekend in 2004 and was sentenced to death last...

In Maryland

Posted on October 02, 2008
"Maryland commission on death penalty begins its deliberation," is the report in the Maryland Gazette written by Sean Sedam. Maryland can do better when it comes to the death penalty, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger said Thursday...

Centurion Ministries and Exonerations

Posted on October 02, 2008
"McCloskey labors to exonerate innocent prisoners," is the title of a report in New Jersey's Star-Ledger written by Sarah Golin.In August, Daryl Burton was sitting in a jail cell in Jefferson City, Mo., serving the 24th year of his sentence...

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