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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

Texas & Arkansas Stocked with Execution Drugs

Posted on September 29, 2010
Today's Huntsville Item reports, "Texas well stocked with lethal injection drugs." It combines staff reporting with the national AP report noted yesterday. Despite a nationwide shortage of one of a trio of drugs used in the lethal injection of condemned...

Texas Catholics Speak Against the Death Penalty

Posted on September 29, 2010
Andrew Rivas, Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference writes the column, "The Death Penalty is a Respect Life Issue!" In a 2002 Pew Research-sponsored presentation at the University of Chicago, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was asked if he...

California Execution Stayed

Posted on September 29, 2010
Judge Fogel's Order Following Remand is available in Adobe .pdf format. The New York Times reports, "Judges Cancels California Execution, by Jesse McKinley and Malia Wollan. Facing sharp questions from a federal appellate panel and concerns about a drug used...

The Case of Sonia Cacy

Posted on September 29, 2010
"Woman Charged With Murder Campaigns for Innocence," is the title of Brandi Grissom's report at the Texas Tribune, this morning. Here's an extended excerpt from the beginning of this must-read: When Sonia Cacy walked out of prison after serving six...

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Watching the Crime Labs

Posted on September 28, 2010
The News & Observer of Raleigh, NC reports, "Forensic groups' ties raise concerns," by Joseph Neff and Mandy Locke. Here's an extended excerpt: In a humble commercial strip mall in Johnston County, the nation's forensic science power players have built...

Second Class Justice

Posted on September 28, 2010
That's the title of a new blog published by Stephen Bright of the Souther Center for Human Rights. LINK Here's a brief excerpt from the beginning of the 'About' tab: SecondClassJustice.com is about ending the unfair and discriminatory treatment of...

Georgia Execution

Posted on September 28, 2010
"Georgia executes inmate who had attempted suicide," is the title of Greg Bluestein's report for AP, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A Georgia death row inmate who tried to kill himself last week by slashing his arms and throat with a...

Commentary From California

Posted on September 28, 2010
"Waiting for a death-penalty debate," is the title of an editorial in today's Los Angeles Times. We had hoped that Fogel's stay would start a dialogue in California about the death penalty, which is objectionable for a host of reasons,...

Where Things Stand in California

Posted on September 28, 2010
I'm going to devote this post to news coverage; the next post to editorials, a column, and an OpEd. The latest AP dispatch is, "Court orders hearing for condemned Calif. inmate," by Paul Elias, via Google News. A federal appeals...

Drug Shortage Delays Execution in Some States, Not Texas

Posted on September 28, 2010
Andrew Welsh-Huggins writes the AP report, "Some US executions held up by shortage of drug." It's via Google News. Here are excerpts from this must-read. Some executions in the U.S. have been put on hold because of a shortage of...

Hearing Set for Willingham Court of Inquiry

Posted on September 28, 2010
"Baird to hold hearing on Willingham execution," is the title of Steven Kreytak's report in this morning 's Austin American-Statesman. State District Judge Charlie Baird said Monday that he would hold a hearing in his Travis County courtroom next week...

A Texas View of National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims

Posted on September 28, 2010
Chris Castillo's OpEd, "Victims' families often need more than justice," appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Saturday, the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Today is the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. On this day, as...

The Weis Case and Indigent Defense

Posted on September 27, 2010
The Saturday edition of the Washington Post carried the editorial, "The crisis in providing legal counsel for poor defendants." IF THE CHARGES are true, Jamie Ryan Weis committed a heinous crime: robbing, beating and shooting to death a woman in...

From California

Posted on September 27, 2010
Challenges to the scheduled execution have been filed with a state-level judge and with the 9th Circuit federal appeals court. "Death row inmate's lawyers try to stop execution," is the latest AP report, via the Silicon Valley Mercury News. Lawyers...

Kentucky Lethal Injection Challenge Dismissed

Posted on September 27, 2010
"Lethal injection lawsuit dismissed," is the title of the AP report by Brett Barrouquere, via the Lexington Herald-Leader. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by two Kentucky death row inmates who claimed lethal injection violates federal laws because a...

National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims

Posted on September 27, 2010
Saturday marked the fourth annual National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Scripps Howard News Service posted, "Hundreds of murder victims to be honored at upcoming conference." It by Adam Liebenforfer. The forum was created in 2007 when Congress designated...

In the Aftermath of Teresa Lewis' Execution

Posted on September 27, 2010
Several Virginia newspapers carry columns following the execution of Teresa Lews Thursday night. "More disturbing than Lewis' execution is our cavalier response," is the title of James Clements' editorial column in today's Culpepper Star Exponent. I come to bury Teresa...

"Timing of Calif. execution questioned,"

Posted on September 26, 2010
"Timing of Calif. execution questioned," is the title of Paul Elias' AP report via the Washington Post. San Quentin Prison's warden walked to the death row cell of Albert Greenwood Brown on Aug. 31 and read a "death warrant" informing...

Judicial Vacancies, Appointments, & Confirmations

Posted on September 24, 2010
The National Law Journal reports, "Democrats Push Forward on Judicial Nominees." It's by David Ingram. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the nomination of law professor Goodwin Liu to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court...

More on the Sodium Thiopental Shortage

Posted on September 24, 2010
There is more news from Ohio and Arizona, today. "Ohio running out of execution drug," is the title of Alan Johnson's report in the Columbus Dispatch. Early next year, unless a national shortage of the drug thiopental sodium eases, Ohio...

Virginia Executes Teresa Lewis

Posted on September 24, 2010
There is a great deal of national and international press on the Virginia execution of Teresa Lewis, last night. "Va. puts woman to death; rare US female execution," is the AP report via Google News. It's written by Steve Szkotak....

Georgia Execution Reset for Tonight

Posted on September 24, 2010
"Suicidal death row inmate denied stay of execution; appeals continue," by Rhonda Cook and Bill Rankin appears in this morning's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Brandon Rhode was brought from ?the brink of death? only so the state could execute him a few...

California Judge Clears Way for Lethal Injection Execution

Posted on September 24, 2010
The initial AP report is, "Judge clears way for 1st Calif execution since '06," by Paul Elias. It's via Google News. A federal judge cleared the way Friday for California's first execution in nearly five years, citing the state's efforts...

Georgia Stay Remain in Place

Posted on September 24, 2010
"Triple murderer's execution stayed until Monday," is the title of Rhonda Cook and Bill Rankin's late post at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Capital punishment opponents and attorneys for a man scheduled to die next week are pushing their arguments that he...

Willingham Attorneys Seek Judicial Review of Arson Conviction

Posted on September 24, 2010
"Innocence group asks court to look at arson case," is the AP report via the Dallas Morning News. The Innocence Project is asking a Texas court to "restore the reputation" of a man they say was wrongly executed after being...

Ford Hearing Underway in Georgia

Posted on September 23, 2010
Rhonda Cook posts, "Hearing to see if suicidal inmate is sane enough to be executed," at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A hearing is underway to determine if a condemned triple murderer is competent to be executed Friday in light of an...

Justice in the Balance

Posted on September 23, 2010
That's the title of a major report on prosecutorial misconduct in USA Today. The series front is here, and it contains a wealth of information and interactive features. A USA TODAY investigation documented 201 criminal cases across the nation in...

Dog Scent Lineup Conviction Reversed

Posted on September 23, 2010
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed a murder conviction based upon a dog scent lineup run by a former deputy sheriff. The opinion in Richard Lynn Winfrey v. State of Texas is in Adobe .pdf format. Judge Cochran wrote...

Thursday

Posted on September 23, 2010
I'll be traveling Thursday morning. Posts will resume later this morning.

Does California Have a Backup Plan for Lethal Injection?

Posted on September 23, 2010
Federal District Judge Jeremy Fogel is scheduled to rule tomorrow on the status of California's lethal injection protocol. KTVU/Bay City News picks up on an aspect that I have not seen reported in other media. The report is, "State Unveils...

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