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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

Bid to Ban UK Export of Execution Drug Goes to Court

Posted on November 17, 2010
Today's Independent reports, "Bid to ban export of 'execution' drug," written by John Aston. An attempt will be made at the High Court today to prevent a British company exporting a drug which could be used in the execution of...

The Tab for a Washington Execution

Posted on November 17, 2010
"Wash. spent nearly $98K to execute Brown," is the title of Shannon Dininny's AP report, via the Seattle Times. The state Department of Corrections spent $97,814 to execute convicted murderer Cal Coburn Brown, the agency said Monday. Brown died by...

Indiana Criminal Justice Summit - Additional Coverage

Posted on November 17, 2010
Today's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports, "Lawmakers urged to debate steep costs of death penalty." It's written by Niki Kelly and Rebecca S. Green. Attorney General Greg Zoeller used a legal summit to kick-start a statewide discussion of the financial...

Roderick Newton Conviction Overturned

Posted on November 17, 2010
AP reports the breaking news, "Dallas death penalty case thrown out by court." It's by Michael Graczyk, via the Houston Chronicle. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has thrown out the conviction of a man sent to death row for...

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Abolishing the Death Penalty Affirms American Beliefs

Posted on November 17, 2010
That's the "title of commentary by Richard Dieter," is the title of commentary by Richard Dieter, posted at Jurist's Hotline. He's the Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center. Here's an extended excerpt: A high delegation of U.S. officials...

News Coverage of DPIC Public Opinion Polling

Posted on November 17, 2010
"Death penalty for murder? Majority supports an alternative, poll says," is the title of the Christian Science Monitor report by Walter Richey. Sixty-one percent of registered voters said they would favor a punishment for murder other than the death penalty,...

Ford Competency Hearing in Bexar County

Posted on November 17, 2010
Today's San Antonio Express-News reports, "Death row convict's lawyers argue he's incompetent," by Guillermo Contreras. A man convicted of participating in a fatal robbery in Kerrville is arguing he is mentally incompetent to be put to death. At a hearing...

In Praise of Public Defenders

Posted on November 17, 2010
"Public defenders for Texans of the Year," is the title of an OpEd by State Senator Rodney Ellis in today's Dallas Morning News. "[R]eason and reflection require us to recognize that in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person...

An 11th Circuit Case Gets Needed Attention - UPDATED

Posted on November 17, 2010
National Law Journal has posted the OpEd, "11th Circuit not playing by the rules in Alabama death penalty case," by Gerald Kogan and Mark White. Kogan, a former Florida Supreme Court Justice, and White, the former Texas Governor and AG,...

Post-Abolition New York

Posted on November 16, 2010
Sunday's Schenectady Daily Gazette had a fascinating article on the activities of New Yorkers for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, since capital punishment's abolition in the state. "Anti-death penalty group turns focus to preventing violence, aiding victims," is the title...

Indiana Attorney General Urges Legislators to Evaluate Death Penalty

Posted on November 16, 2010
"AG says lawmakers should reconsider death penalty," is the AP report via the Chicago Tribune. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says state lawmakers should take a look at whether the cost of death penalty cases are justifiable in these times...

Supreme Court Justices in Texas

Posted on November 16, 2010
"In Rare Public Debate, Justices Scalia, Breyer Clash Over Constitutional Questions," is the title of Betsy Blaney's AP report via Naltional Law Journal. Here's an extended excerpt: One of the most conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and one...

Death Penalty Information Center Polling

Posted on November 16, 2010
The Death Penalty Information Center has issued a news release, "Poll Shows Growing Support for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; Capital Punishment Ranked Lowest Among Budget Priorities; Unfairness, high costs, victims? needs, and innocence are important to voters? thinking about...

Incarceration & Health

Posted on November 16, 2010
Two recent news reports have looked extensively at incarceration and health issues. Yesterday, Brandi Grissom posted, "Hundreds Die of Illnesses in County Jails," at the Texas Tribune. Robert Foster did not budge when a Gregg County jailer slid open the...

Longest Serving Texas Death Row Inmate Dies in Dallas

Posted on November 16, 2010
Today's Dallas Morning News reports, "Death-row inmate dies in Dallas awaiting new hearing." It's by Richard Abshire; reporter Jennifer Emily also contributed. Ronald Curtis Chambers, who held the record for the longest stay on Texas' death row at 35 years,...

Illinois Veto Session Begins Tomorrow

Posted on November 15, 2010
James Warren posts, "Expos� Hits Hard At Death Penalty System," at the Chicago News Cooperative. It's a must-read: In our collective myopia, we may assume the Illinois death-penalty system is fixed. After all, the past decade brought expos�s of men...

Pinholster - Additional Coverage

Posted on November 15, 2010
Yesterday's Los Angeles Times carried the news article, "U.S. Supreme Court hears California death penalty appeal," by David G. Savage. The Supreme Court last week heard an appeal from a San Fernando Valley murderer that helps explain why death penalty...

This Week's Lethal Injection Hearing in Oklahoma

Posted on November 15, 2010
"US state seeks to use animal drugs to execute humans," is the title of Lucile Malandain's post at AFP, via Google News. Faced with a national shortage of a key drug used for lethal injections, Oklahoma now hopes to turn...

Why the Claude Jones Case Matters

Posted on November 15, 2010
Texas Observer editor Bob Moser posts, "Blood on Our Hands: Why the Jones Case Matters. What the DNA results tell Texas citizens?and journalists." On Friday morning in Houston, I spoke at a news conference discussing the upshot of the Observer's...

Good First Step

Posted on November 15, 2010
That's the title of an editorial in the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle. It's subtitled, "Tough legal veteran will launch Harris County Public Defender office." Here's an extended excerpt: After decades of controversy over poor representation for indigent defendants...

Ohio Governor Commutes Death Sentence

Posted on November 15, 2010
"Strickland grants clemency to Cornwell," is the breaking news report in the Youngstown Vindicator. Gov. Ted Strickland has granted clemency to the Sidney Cornwell, the man who was facing execution for the 1996 gang-related killing of a Youngstown toddler...

Claude Jones News Conference - Expanded Coverage

Posted on November 13, 2010
"Texas should overhaul death penalty laws, lawyer says," is the title of the AP report by Michael Graczyk, via the Austin American-Statesman. The execution of a Texas man whose plea for DNA testing was ignored shows procedures and laws covering...

Anthony Graves Seeks Compensation for Wrongful Incarceration

Posted on November 12, 2010
Harvey Rice writes, "Innocent man seeks his due from state," for today's Houston Chronicle. Attorneys for a Somerville man freed last month after spending more than a decade on death row will return to court next week to take the...

Claude Jones Case - Additional News Coverage

Posted on November 12, 2010
The Innocence Project is holding a news conference this morning. I'll post coverage as soon as it becomes available. The Innocence Project has also posted this timeline of the case. If you haven't already read Dave Mann's exclusive "DNA Tests...

The Capital Cost Factor in Texas

Posted on November 12, 2010
Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Mike Norman's latest is, "Here's a way Texas lawmakers can save tax dollars." Seeing as how the Texas Legislature is locked in tight on being all conservativey next year -- especially fiscal conservativey, given the forecast...

Innocence Project News Conference

Posted on November 12, 2010
Here are the initial news accounts. "Innocence Project: Overhaul death penalty laws," is the first AP report, via Google News. There is a photo gallery, as well. A leading anti-death penalty lawyer says the execution of a Texas man whose...

The Texas Clemency Memos

Posted on November 12, 2010
One of Harry Truman's favorite sayings was, "The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know." As we now know from the case of Claude Jones, then-Governor George W. Bush was not given critical information about...

Illinois Repeal Effort Gears Up for Veto Session

Posted on November 11, 2010
Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "Anti-death-penalty advocates gearing for new push in Illinois next week." It's written by Kevin McDermott. An anti-death-penalty group says it will use the Illinois Legislature's lame-duck veto session next week to try and pass legislation...

Lethal Injection Updates

Posted on November 11, 2010
"Inside the evolving market for lethal injection drugs," is the title of Rina Palta's report for public radio station KALW-FM. Next week, the Oklahoma?s department of corrections will go to court with a request?one that prison operators around the country...

Claude Jones' Other Shoe Drops

Posted on November 11, 2010
The Texas Observer has just posted its exclusive news article, "DNA Tests Undermine Evidence in Texas Execution: New results show Claude Jones was put to death on flawed evidence." It's written by Dave Mann. Here's an extended excerpt from the...

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