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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

Opinion Roundup

Posted on September 15, 2010
Delaware's Wilmington News Journal carries the OpEd, "Death penalty cases impose singular burden," written by Judy Ritter and Ross Kleinstuber. Ritter is a Widener University Law prof; Kleinstuber a graduate student in Sociology. The Oped is for Constitution Day, celebrated...

How the Judicial Confirmation Crisis Threatens Our Constitution

Posted on September 15, 2010
That's the title of a Huffington Post essay by Caroline Fredrickson. LINK She's the Executive Director of the American Constitution Society. Here's an extended excerpt: The Senate voted Monday to confirm Jane Branstetter Stranch to the U.S. Court of Appeals...

Criminal Justice Costs in Missouri - Now Part of the Sentencing Equation

Posted on September 15, 2010
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "Missouri judges get penalty cost before sentencing." It's written by Heather Ratcliffe. Justice in Missouri now comes with a price tag. It is the first state to provide judges with defendant-specific data on what particular...

Texas Monthly to Spotlight Anthony Graves' Case

Posted on September 14, 2010
The October issue should be available online tomorrow. "Texas Monthly to feature Graves case," is the post today at the Brenham Banner.The murder conviction of Anthony Graves is being featured in the October issue of Texas Monthly magazine. The 20-page...

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False Confessions

Posted on September 14, 2010
"Confessing to Crimes, but Innocent," is the title of an article in today's New York Times, highlighting scholarship by University of Virginia Law prof Brandon Garrett. Here's the beginning: Eddie Lowery lost 10 years of his life for a crime...

Special Hearing Ordered in Keller Sanction

Posted on September 14, 2010
"Hearing set on Keller dismissal request," is the title of Chuck Lindell's post at the Austin American-Statesman. The special court of review next Monday will hear Judge Sharon Keller?s request to summarily dismiss a public reprimand from the State Commission...

A Small Class of Texas Juvenile Offenders

Posted on September 13, 2010
Mary Alice Robbins writes, "A Minor Issue: Appeal Impacts Parole Eligibility for Juveniles Convicted of Capital Murder Under Old Law," for the current issue of Texas Lawyer. Here's an extended excerpt: Chris Meadoux, who turns 20 on Oct. 1, is...

Teresa Lewis Didn't Pull the Trigger. Why Is She on Death Row?

Posted on September 13, 2010
That's the title of John Grisham's OpEd in the Washington Post. It appeared in the Sunday edition. LINK The Commonwealth of Virginia already has a serious relationship with its death penalty. In the past three decades, only Texas has executed...

Sodium Thiopental Shortage - Continued Coverage

Posted on September 13, 2010
Today's Oklahoma reports, "Shortage of death penalty drug in Oklahoma delays executions," by Michael Baker. A nationwide shortage of a sedative used in Oklahoma's lethal injection cocktails has delayed executions, spurred legal battles and prompted state prison officials to try...

Opinion Roundup

Posted on September 13, 2010
As a high profile capital trial gets underway today in Connecticut, the Danbury News Times on Saturday carried the editorial, "Abolish death penalty." The jury trial set to begin Monday for one of two men charged in the horrific murder...

Breaking News From Kentucky

Posted on September 10, 2010
"Judge halts execution scheduled in Kentucky," is the breaking AP report via Ohio's Dayton Daily News. It's by Brett Barrouquere. A judge on Friday halted the scheduled Sept. 16 execution of a Kentucky man convicted of a 1987 murder and...

Indigent Defense News From Georgia

Posted on September 10, 2010
"Perdue names Teilhet to lead public defender system," is Aaron Gould Sheinin's post at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday named state Rep. Rob Teilhet, D-Smyrna, to lead the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. Teilhet, who lost a...

Missouri Indigent Defense

Posted on September 10, 2010
Today's New York Times reports, "Budget Woes Hit Defense Lawyers for the Indigent," by Monica Davey. Here's the beginning: Some public defenders in Missouri say the stressed state budget is interfering with their ability to provide poor defendants with their...

More Coverage of Teresa Lewis

Posted on September 10, 2010
The current issue of Time reports, "In Virginia, a Woman on the Verge of Execution." It's written by Katy Steinmetz and Alex Altman. In deciding whether to grant clemency, Governor McDonnell can consider a range of mitigating circumstances, including the...

Washington Execution

Posted on September 10, 2010
Washington carried out its first execution using a single-drug lethal injection, earlier today. It was the first execution in the state since 2001. KUOW-FM will air, "The Execution Of Cal Coburn Brown And The Psychology Of The Executioner," later today...

Washington State Prepares to Conduct Single-Drug Execution

Posted on September 09, 2010
The latest AP report in, "Wash. prepares for first execution since 2001," via the Seattle Times. It's written by Shannon Dininny. Officials at the Washington State Penitentiary were making final preparations Thursday as the clock ticked toward the first execution...

In Alabama - The Holly Wood Case

Posted on September 09, 2010
The Daily Beast carries an in-depth article, "Alabama's Shameful Execution," written by Brendan Kirby. Here's the beginning of this compelling must-read: He's poor, mentally disabled, and his newbie lawyer botched his sentencing. But at 6 p.m. EST today, this convicted...

New Picture Has Emerged of Woman Facing Imminent Execution in Virginia

Posted on September 09, 2010
That's the title of a news release issued by the Death Penalty Information Center regarding the case of Teresa Lewis. LINK Here's the complete release: Unless the governor or the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, Teresa Lewis will be put to...

Willingham Case on Forensic Science Commission Agenda

Posted on September 09, 2010
The Forensic Science Commission's next meeting is September 17, and the Todd Willingham case is on the agenda. In today's Austin American-Statesman, Chuck Lindell reports, "Fire marshal backs arson finding in man's execution." Here's an extended excerpt: The State Fire...

Alabama Execution - UPDATED

Posted on September 09, 2010
Update -- An expanded version of the AP report is available via the Daily Comet of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Wood was the fourth person executed in Alabama this year and the 10th in the last two years. The state resumed...

More on Teresa Lewis

Posted on September 08, 2010
"Teresa Lewis, Mentally Disabled Woman, To Be Executed In Virginia This Month," is the title of Laura Bassett's post at Huffington Post. Teresa Lewis, a borderline mentally retarded woman charged with "masterminding" the murder of her husband and stepson in...

The Kentucky Case of Gregory Wilson

Posted on September 08, 2010
Today's Louisville Courier-Journal carries a lengthy examination of his case, "Kentucky death-row inmate's trial littered with problems." It's reported by Andrew Wolfson. Here's the beginning of this must-read: The judge posted his plea on the courtroom door: ?PLEASE HELP...

Lethal Injection Roundup

Posted on September 08, 2010
"Judge to hear argument over Ky. execution protocol," is the AP report via today's Lexington Herald-Leader. A Kentucky judge is set to hear arguments over whether to stop executions in the state, including one scheduled for next week. The hearing,...

New Hampshire Law on Cold Cases

Posted on September 07, 2010
New Hampshire's Portsmouth Herald reports, "New law compensates 'cold case' victims," written by Patrick Cronin. Here's the beginning of the article: Rep. Renny Cushing said he saw one shortcoming in the bill signed into law last year establishing for the...

Additional Coverage of Kevin Keith Commutation

Posted on September 07, 2010
There's been a great deal of commentary and follow-up on Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's commutation of Kevin Keith's death sentence last week. "Keith decision should not be a political issue," is the title of a Mansfield News Journal editorial. Ohio....

Continued Coverage of the Sodium Thiopental Shortage

Posted on September 07, 2010
Last month an Oklahoma execution was stayed because the state did not have an adequate supply of sodium thiopental for the lethal injection. Today's Oklahoman reports, "Lethal injection made its debut in Oklahoma 20 years ago." It's written by Ken...

The Linda Carty Case

Posted on September 07, 2010
British barrister Hugh Southey writes, "Linda Carty case displays weakness in Texas system," at the Dallas Morning News Death Penalty blog. Here's the beginning of the post: Linda Carty's case has been generating increasing media coverage in the United Kingdom...

Finding Ways to Reduce Wrongful Convictions

Posted on September 07, 2010
That's the title of an OpEd from the Houston Chronicle. It's written by State Senator Rodney Ellis and Cory Session, brother of the late Tim Cole. LINK It's a must-read: Timothy Cole was forced to suffer in prison for a...

Death Penalty Advocate Is a Challenge for the Defense

Posted on September 03, 2010
That's the title of William Glaberson's article in the New York Times. LINK In the three years since his wife and two daughters were killed at his home in Cheshire, Conn., Dr. William A. Petit Jr. has become perhaps the...

News Coverage of Kevin Keith Commutation

Posted on September 03, 2010
Here's a roundup of the news coverage of yesterday's commutation of Kevin Keith's death sentence by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. The governor's statement is noted here. "Ohio?s Governor Spares Life of a Death Row Inmate," is the New York Times...

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