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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

California Death Row

Posted on August 12, 2010
Today's Contra Costa Times reports, "Huffman, Leno seek to quash death row expansion." It's written by Rob Rogers.Marin's legislative representatives say they'll fight another effort by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to expand the death row complex at San Quentin State Prison...

Kevin Keith's Clemency Hearing

Posted on August 11, 2010
Video from a news conference held by supporters of Kevin Keith is here. Supporters also issued this news release. Amid growing concern that the State of Ohio may be on the verge of executing an innocent man, prominent individuals from...

Commentary on the RJA Filings

Posted on August 11, 2010
Today's Wilmington Star News carries the editorial, "We need to know if race plays a role in sentencing." Regardless of one's view of the death penalty, however, if a state embraces this most extreme form of punishment as an option,...

119 File Claims Under North Carolina Racial Justice Act

Posted on August 11, 2010
There is extensive press in North Carolina. This post will link to news articles; the next, commentary. Yesterday was the deadline to file a claim under the state RJA law. "119 on death row allege bias," is the title of...

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In the Rearview Mirror, Oklahoma and Death Row

Posted on August 11, 2010
That's the title of Dan Barry's article in today's New York Times. It's datelined Montgomery, Alabama. It's a searing must-read following a long trail of ineffective representation and its aftermath. LINK You can never come back, ever. If you plead...

An Update on the Linda Carty Case

Posted on August 11, 2010
"Replica prison cell highlights Briton's death row plight," is the UK Press Association report, via Google News. A life-size death row cell will be opened to the public in central London to highlight the plight of death row Briton Linda...

Former FSC Chair Calls for Broad, Open Willingham Report

Posted on August 11, 2010
"Ex-forensics chairman urges broader Willingham report," is the title of Chuck Lindell's report in the Austin American-Statesman this morning. The former chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, Austin lawyer Samuel Bassett, urged the panel Tuesday to provide an in-depth...

Kevin Keith Clemency Hearing Tomorrow

Posted on August 10, 2010
Today's New York Times reports, "Unusual Alliance Protests Execution," written by Bob Driehaus. Here's an extended excerpt: An unlikely array of Republicans and Democrats, attorneys general and federal and state judges and prosecutors has lined up to fight the execution...

An Update on Troy Davis

Posted on August 09, 2010
"Death Row Inmate's Team Fights to Save Case," by Alyson Palmer is in today's Fulton County Daily Report, a member of the Law.com family of publications. Lawyers for Troy Davis are fighting to fix the damage caused by their failure...

An Update on Kevin Keith

Posted on August 09, 2010
With his clemency request set to be heard this week by the Ohio Parole Board, the case is one reason some state officials are calling for a broader examination of the state's death penalty. Sunday's Columbus Dispatch reported, "Timeout from...

Judicial Conduct Commission Replies to Keller Appeal

Posted on August 09, 2010
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct answer is in two parts; here and here. It was filed on Friday. "Commission Defends Sanction Against Keller," is the title of Morgan Smith's post at Texas Tribune. Judge Sharon Keller's challenge of an...

Commentary on the Racial Justice Act

Posted on August 09, 2010
"Colors of justice," is the editorial from the News & Observer. It appeared in the Sunday edition. North Carolina's Racial Justice Act helps defendants highlight bias that they believe taints a death-penalty prosecution. For instance, it lets them challenge a...

A Mailroom Mix-Up That Could Cost a Life

Posted on August 06, 2010
That's the title of Adam Liptak's latest Sidebar column in the New York Times. It appeared in the Tuesday paper. LINK Sullivan & Cromwell is a law firm with glittering offices in a dozen cities around the world, and some...

California's Revised Lethal Injection Regulations Approved, Challenged

Posted on August 06, 2010
"Calif regulators OK new lethal injection methods," is the AP report from Monday afternoon, via the San Francisco Chronicle. Regulators have approved revised lethal injection procedures ordered by a federal judge, who halted capital punishment in the state until prison...

Continued Editorial Commentary on Todd Willingham & Forensics

Posted on August 06, 2010
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial is, "Re-examining the evidence in Willingham case." It appeared in the Tuesday edition. If an automaker discovers that a faulty design is making some of its cars accelerate without warning, the company doesn't just make...

First Cases Filed Under North Carolina's Racial Justice Act

Posted on August 06, 2010
The measure was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed into law last year. Those who have already been convicted must file a claim by August 10. The law also has an impact on current and future trials....

Monday

Posted on August 02, 2010
I'll be traveling much of Monday. Check out the left-column webroll and keep watching for new posts later today. Follow @standdown_tx on twitter for indigent criminal justice and capital issues. Follow @steve_hall for other related issues.

Is DNA Evidence Enough Evidence

Posted on July 30, 2010
That's the title of a Q&A with David H. Kaye, a Penn State Law professor and DNA expert. He's the author of The Double Helix and the Law of Evidence. Michael Bezilla conducted the interview for Reseach Penn State and...

An Update on California LI Regulations

Posted on July 30, 2010
"California lethal injection method is under scrutiny," is the title of Layla Bohm's report in today's Lodi News-Sentinel. The latest proposal to restart California's lethal injection method is back in the hands of state officials, though it's not known when...

Crack/Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Addressed

Posted on July 30, 2010
The New York Times report from yesterday's paper was, "Congress Moves to Narrow Cocaine Sentencing Disparity," written by Erik Ekholm. The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would reduce the disparities between mandatory federal sentences for crack...

The State of Federal Judicial Nominations

Posted on July 30, 2010
We have several different reports examining the sad state of the U.S. Senate confirmation process for federal judicial vacancies. The Center for American Progress memo is titled, "Falling Off a Cliff: Judicial Confirmation Rates Have Nosedived in the Obama Presidency...

Judge Keller Seeks Dismissal of Warning & Charges

Posted on July 30, 2010
Judge Keller's Petition for Writ of Mandamus and her motion to stay certain time limits in the case are at the links. The Austin Chronicle reports, "Judge Sharon Keller wants her rebuke voided." It's written by Chuck Lindell. Claiming that...

Lethal Injection Challenge in Washington State Dismissed

Posted on July 29, 2010
"Wash. high court lifts stay of execution for Brown," is the title of the AP dispatch filed by Rachel La Corte. Washington state's Supreme Court has lifted the stay of execution for a death row inmate who claimed the state's...

Capital Litigation Costs in Hill County

Posted on July 29, 2010
"Capital Murder Trials Bring New Expenses," is the title of a report in today's Hillsboro Reporter. Hill County is located between Dallas and Waco on IH-35. For the fourth time since 2006, capital murder indictments have been handed up by...

More Coverage - Arson, FSC, & John Bradley

Posted on July 29, 2010
Jordan Smith writes, "Who to Blame for Faulty Fire Science?," for the current Austin Chronicle, out today. Members of the state's Forensic Science Commission have concluded that fire investigators relied on flawed and outdated science when they fingered arson as...

Judicial Nominees & the Senate

Posted on July 28, 2010
"Obama Pushes Senate to Confirm Judges," is the title of David Ingram's report at National Law Journal. It's also available at the BLT. President Barack Obama called on the Senate Tuesday to vote on long-stalled nominees for the federal judiciary...

The Porter Exoneration in Harris County

Posted on July 28, 2010
Allan Turner writes, "From life in prison to life of comfort?" for the Houston Chronicle. Once facing the prospect of spending his life in prison, 39-year-old Allen Wayne Porter now faces the possibility of spending his remaining years as a...

Arson, Todd Willingham, & the FSC

Posted on July 28, 2010
Editorials in the Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle this morning take on the Forensic Science Commission following its meeting last week. "Science - like death - has its limits," is the Statesman editorial. It is a finding that is at...

Behind Closed Doors ,,, and Padded Words

Posted on July 27, 2010
Craig Haney posts, "Hiding From the Death Penalty," at Huffington Post. Haney is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the author of Death by Design. Here's an excerpt from this must-read: Last month, Utah...

Harris County Indigent Defense Update

Posted on July 27, 2010
"Harris County sweetens public defender proposal," is the title of Chris Moran's report in today's Houston Chronicle. Seeking to strengthen its bid for state funding to open a public defender office, Harris County has changed its application to ask for...

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