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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

Official 'Oops' in the Willingham Case

Posted on July 27, 2010
That's the title of an editorial in today's Dallas Morning News. LINK The Texas Forensic Science Commission appears to be steering toward a vague zone in the Cameron Todd Willingham case, a direction that would fail to address exactly how...

From Nebraska

Posted on July 26, 2010
"Efficient death doesn't make it right," is the title of the editorial in today's Lincoln Journal Star. We take little comfort in the state's apparently efficient preparation, in this case, of the state's remodeled execution chamber. Earlier this month, the...

Editorial Reaction to the North Carolina Race Study

Posted on July 26, 2010
Today's Fayetteville Observer carries the editorial, "Justice - Death penalty data show need for Racial Justice Act." The proof is in the killing, and a newly released study of death sentences in North Carolina proves that our year-old Racial Justice...

Keller rebuke raises questions, possible challenge

Posted on July 26, 2010
That's the title of Chuck Lindell's article in the Sunday edition of the Austin American-Statesman. It's subtitled, "Lawyer says commission's public warning may be in violation of state constitution." Here are two extended excerpts: Given three options for dealing with...

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Rick Casey Revisits the Forensic Science Commission

Posted on July 26, 2010
"Science defeats DA 8-0," is the title of his column in today's Houston Chronicle. Here's the triumphant score from Friday's Texas Forensic Science Commission: Science 8, District Attorney 0. The battle was for the scientific soul of the commission. Chairman...

More on Familial DNA

Posted on July 26, 2010
Natasha Singer writes, "In Fighting Crime, How Wide Should a Genetic Net Reach?" for the Saturday edition of the New York Times. Recently, forensic scientists in California used a genetic analysis procedure called ?familial searching? or ?kinship searching? to help...

FSC: Flawed Science, but No Negligence

Posted on July 24, 2010
CNN posts, "Texas state board says arson investigators used flawed science." A Texas state board said Friday that arson investigators used flawed science but were not negligent in an investigation that led to a controversial 2004 execution. The panel also...

California Public Opinion Polling

Posted on July 23, 2010
"Poll finds strong California support for death penalty," is the AP brief via the Silicon Valley Mercury News. A new poll finds that 70 percent of Californians favor the death penalty. The Field Poll released today shows support for executions...

North Carolina Study: Race Matters

Posted on July 23, 2010
Specifically, the race of the victim matters in death penalty charging decisions and death sentences. "Disparity seen in death penalty," is the title of Michael Hewlet's report in today's Winston-Salem Journal. A new study examining the death penalty in North...

More Coverage of the Keller Sanction

Posted on July 23, 2010
Today's Corpus Christi Caller-Times carries the editorial, "Reprimand fits judge?s error." An Associated Press article last week described Justice Sharon Keller as ?the top criminal judge in Texas.? That?s a technically correct paraphrase for presiding judge of the Texas Court...

Todd Willingham and the Forensice Science Commission

Posted on July 23, 2010
As it has done before, the Innocence Project is webcasting today's Forensic Science Commission meeting at this LINK. "Texans wonder if they executed an innocent man," is the CNN report posted as the Forensic Science Commission meets. A Texas state...

A Note on the Bruce Webster Case

Posted on July 23, 2010
I've had several questions and comments from readers regarding the case of Bruce Webster. The Dallas Morning News highlighted the case in a recent news article and editorial, noted at the links. The Webster case is a federal death penalty...

Thursday

Posted on July 22, 2010
I'll be traveling to Netroots Nation today. Posts will resume this evening.

More on the Case of Bruce Webster

Posted on July 22, 2010
Today's Dallas Morning News carries the editorial, "Mental retardation and the death penalty." Bruce Carneil Webster is a brutal thug, one of three whose pursuit of two men who had stiffed them on a drug deal ended with the kidnapping,...

Kevin Keith

Posted on July 21, 2010
Friends of Kevin Keith in Ohio are renewing the call for signatures to a petition seeking clemency in his case. Keith has a clemency hearing on August 11. You can sign the petition by clicking on the Take Action box...

From Connecticut

Posted on July 21, 2010
"More Than Reasonable Doubt About Death Penalty," is the title of Terrence Dwyer's OpEd in today's Hartford Courant. Dwyer, a lawyer, is an assistant professor at Western Connecticut State University and a retired investigator from the New York State Police,...

Piper Kerman on Incarceration Costs

Posted on July 21, 2010
Kerman posts, "Lindsay's Jail Life," at Daily Beast. She's the author of Orange Is the New Black: A Year in a Women's Prison. While Kerman's essay is pegged to the Lindsay Lohan drama in Los Angeles, it addresses wider issues....

Changing Lives Through Literature

Posted on July 21, 2010
Today's Guardian reports, "Novel approach: reading courses as an alternative to prison," by Anna Barker. With one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, and the death penalty, the US state of Texas seems the last place to embrace...

Contraband Cell Phones

Posted on July 21, 2010
"Congress moves to crack down on prison cell phones," is the title of an AP report via the Washington Post. It's written by Jim Abrams. Congress moved Tuesday to make it tougher for federal prison inmates to use cell phones...

Rick Casey on the Keller Sanction

Posted on July 21, 2010
His column in today's Houston Chronicle is titled, "With Keller, anatomy of a historic wrist slap." In what might be called a historic slap on the wrist, the Texas Commission of Judicial Conduct last week issued a strongly-worded ?condemnation? of...

San Francisco Gang Cases to Test DOJ's Death Penalty Policy

Posted on July 20, 2010
That's the title of Dan Levine's news article in Law.com's Recorder. LINK Erick Lopez, aka "Spooky," is a hard-core MS-13 gang member who killed two people in San Francisco's Excelsior district, say federal prosecutors. He is eligible for the death...

Texas Execution

Posted on July 20, 2010
Texas is scheduled to carry out its 15th execution of the year, tonight in Huntsville. It would be the state's 462nd execution since 1982. Texas has far and away the most active death chamber in America, accounting for more than...

Editorial Response to the Keller Reprimand

Posted on July 20, 2010
Today's Dallas Morning News editorial is, "Keller rebuke was necessary." The official warning to Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller last week was critical to restoring respect for the state's legal system. In deciding to rebuke Keller,...

Texas Execution

Posted on July 20, 2010
Texas carried out its 15th execution of 2010, tonight in Huntsville. It was the state's 462nd execution since 1982. Texas has far and away the most active death chamber in America, accounting for more than 37% of the nation's post-Furman...

The Case Of Bruce Webster

Posted on July 19, 2010
"Mental retardation evidence may not save Arlington teenager's killer from death chamber," is the title of Jason Trahan's report for the Dallas Morning News. It appeared in the Sunday edition. Bruce Carneil Webster helped kidnap, rape, torture and bury alive...

Maryland Weighs Allowing Inmates' Own Clergy at Death

Posted on July 19, 2010
That's the title of a lengthy AP report distributed this morning via Google News. It's written by Brian Witte. LINK Maryland is considering becoming one of the few states to allow condemned inmates to choose a clergy member not employed...

An Update on the Hank Skinner Case

Posted on July 19, 2010
Sunday's Amarillo Globe-News ran the article, "Henry Skinner's last chance: Steady in his convictions." It's written by Janelle Stecklein. Henry Watkins Skinner has been on death row since 1995, when a jury found him guilty of the Dec. 31, 1993,...

News Coverage of Keller Reprimand

Posted on July 17, 2010
The Commission's Findings, Conclusions and Order of Public Warning is here. "Texas Judge Reprimanded in Death Row Case," in the New York Times.A judicial panel on Friday reprimanded a Texas judge who declined to keep the courthouse open for a...

A History of Texas Tough Justice

Posted on July 16, 2010
At the Texas Tribune, you can listen to an interview with Robert Perkinson, author of the recently published Texas Justice, American Injustice. It's conducted by Ben Philpott. Texas has long been a ?tough on crime? state, but there has been...

Judicial Conduct Commission Issues Public Warning to Judge Keller

Posted on July 16, 2010
The Commission's Findings, Conclusions and Order of Public Warning is here. Chuck Lindell posts, "Keller reprimanded for role in missed execution appeal," at the Austin American-Statesman. Sharon Keller, the state?s top criminal judge, was reprimanded today for ?interfering? with attempts...

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