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Texas Death Penalty Blog

Death penalty cases and legislation in Texas and elsewhere.
By "Persian Cowboy"

Post Frequency: 3.3/day

Last Entry: July 21, 2016 at 22:00:00

Texas Executed Today its 451st Person since 1982; 212th Under Governor Rick Perry

Posted on March 12, 2010
Texas today executed its 451st person since 1982 and the 212th person since Governor Rick Perry took office in 2000.From the Houston Chronicle:An Indiana man whose cross-country crime spree with his girlfriend a decade ago ended in a gun battle with police in San Francisco was executed Thursday for robbing and murdering a sheriff's officer in San Antonio...

Austin Chronicle Recommended Event: Anti Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break

Posted on March 12, 2010
ANTI-DEATH PENALTY ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK Open to students and nonstudents alike, this weeklong program shows you what it takes to be an activist. You'll attend workshops, write press releases, speak in public, and more, as well as meet former prisoners who spent time on death row, family members of murder victims, and many others...

Death Row Exoneree Curtis McCarty to Speak at Anti Death Alternative Spring Break

Posted on March 12, 2010
Curtis McCarty, an innocent man who spent 19 years on death row in Oklahoma will be one of the speakers at the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break March 15-19 in Austin, Texas. Curtis is attending as a member of Witness to Innocence. He will join exonerees Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Juan Melendez and Perry Cobb at the alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row...

Sam Milsap: DNA testing works, but not if we fail to utilize it

Posted on March 10, 2010
Former Bexar County DA, Sam Milsap's has published the following Op-Ed in the Houston Chronicle. He is asking state of Texas to test the DNA evidence that "could remove the uncertainty about Skinner's guilt."Last week, Gov. Rick Perry granted the state's first posthumous pardon to a man who was innocent of a crime for which he had spent 13 years in prison...

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Room and Schedule for Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break March 15-19 in Austin

Posted on March 10, 2010
Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. Everyone is welcome. You can attend all events or just the ones that interest you.It starts at 4:30 PM on Monday, March 15. The location is the Jesse H...

The Daily Texan on Judge Fine: Bad Judgement

Posted on March 10, 2010
The following is Bobby Cervantes's piece for the Daily Texan Editorial Board.When Judge Kevin Fine, a state judge in Houston, ruled last week that the death penalty in Texas was unconstitutional, the blowback from the state?s conservative brass was swift...

Galveston Newspaper Renews Call for a Moratorium on Executions

Posted on March 09, 2010
The Galveston County Daily News is renewing its call for a moratorium on executions. What caused them to write again today about the need for a moratorium is because of the Houston judge who last week ruled that the death penalty process used in Texas is unconstitutional because innocent people can be executed...

Video of Gavin, Nick and Nathan Speaking on Behalf of Kids Against the Death Penalty in Geneva Switzerland at World Congress

Posted on March 09, 2010
The young nephews of an American death row inmate started Kids Against the Death Penalty and recently traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to attend and speak at the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty.Gavin, Nick and Nathan Been (12, 13 and 15) are just like any American teenagers ? teasing their mom Terri about growing taller than her and asking her to drive them around to meet up with their friends...

Help Hank Skinner get the DNA testing to Prove His Innocence Before He Becomes the Next Todd Willingham

Posted on March 08, 2010
On March 4th, the CCA affirmed the March 24th date for Hank Skinner's execution, or more exactly it states it doesn't have jurisdiction to overrule the Judge's order. Please help Hank get the DNA testing. I have added a list of newspapers and journalists to whom you can copy your letter to the DA, below:Hank sent a 5-page letter to the Gray County D...

Crime Victims Equality Act in New Hampshire

Posted on March 08, 2010
By Renny CushingLast year I sponsored legislation (House Bill 370) to prohibit discrimination against victims of crime based upon their position on the death penalty.The bill was inspired by my experience working with other survivors of homicide victims, including some who found they experienced a loss of standing and recognition of rights as crime victims under the law when they spoke out against or acted in opposition to the death penalty for the person who murdered their loved ones...

More Details on Houston Judge Declaring Texas Death Penalty Unconstituional

Posted on March 05, 2010
?Based on the moratorium (on the death penalty) in Illinois, the Innocence Project and more than 200 people being exonerated nationwide, it can only be concluded that innocent people have been executed,? state District Judge Kevin Fine said. ?It's safe to assume we execute innocent people...

Houston Judge Declares Texas Death Penalty Unconstitutional; State Plans to Appeal

Posted on March 04, 2010
Thanks to Judge Kevin Fine in Houston for ruling that the Texas death penalty is unconstitutional. In 2004, New York courts ruled that the New York death penalty law was unconstitutional and the New York legislature did not pass a new death penalty law, so in New York the death penalty was abolished by such a ruling...

The Death Penalty is Dying

Posted on March 02, 2010
By Mike FarrelAs president of the board of Death Penalty Focus, an abolition organization, I find myself discussing executions a lot. Whether to kill a person who commits a violent crime is a thorny question for some, I know, so I don't mind talking about it...

Call Texas Governor to Protest Today's Execution, Then Go Vote if You Live in Texas

Posted on March 02, 2010
Today is election day in Texas and there is also an execution scheduled in Texas today. Rick Perry is seeking re-election as Governor. He is running today in the Republican primary against two main Republican challengers. There is also an election in the Democratic primary...

Victims families speak out against the death penalty

Posted on March 02, 2010
The following is a Dallas Morning News guest blog post by MVFHR's Susannah Sheffer about the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty. Robert Curley On October 1, 1997 my 10-year-old son Jeffrey was kidnapped and murdered from our neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is right outside Boston...

Execution Watch: Michael Sigala

Posted on February 28, 2010
Execution Watch will broadcast Tuesday as Texas kills Michael Sigala. He was convicted and sentenced to death at age 22 in a trial where prosecutors suppressed testimony that he is mentally ill. The featured guest will be the legal affairs director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness...

Five Death Row Exonerees to Speak at Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break March 15-19 in Austin, Texas

Posted on February 27, 2010
Derrick Jamison, an innocent man who spent 17 years on death row in Ohio will be one of the speakers at the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, which is March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas. Derrick is attending as a member of Witness to Innocence...

Save Linda Carty

Posted on February 26, 2010
British grandmother Linda Carty was wrongfully sentenced to death by a Texan court and is now dangerously close to execution. Please watch this video about her disastrous case - and find out how you can help save her life.How to save Linda CartyPlease sign this petition NOWFollow Linda Carty's case on Facebook, Twitter or our Save Linda PetitionSign up for updates on Linda's case by mailing info@reprieve...

World Coalition Delivers 90,000 Petitions Against Juvenile Executions

Posted on February 24, 2010
A morning with the World Coalition in Paris. Activists preparing to visit the Embassies of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen in order to hand over more than 90,000 signatures on the petition demanding the complete stop of juvenile executions. Three of these countries have ratified the convention on the rights of the child, but do not follow it...

Hire A Lawyer, Escape the Death Penalty?

Posted on February 23, 2010
ACS is pleased to distribute an Issue Brief by Scott Phillips, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver, entitled ?Hire a Lawyer, Escape the Death Penalty?? In this Issue Brief, Professor Phillips describes the results of his study to test the claim made by death penalty opponents that wealthy defendants who hire legal counsel are exempt from capital punishment...

Vote for " Abolish the Death Penalty " in the Ideas for Change contest at Change.org

Posted on February 23, 2010
Texas Moratorium Network sent an email out a few days ago asking people to vote for "Abolish the Death Penalty" in the Ideas for Change contest at Change.org. 236 TMN members have voted so far, which is a little more than one-quarter of the total votes of 820 as of now...

Anti-Death Penalty Protesters Interrupt Rick Perry at Appearance in Denton

Posted on February 21, 2010
From the Denton Record-Chronicle:Texas Gov. Rick Perry made a short stop in Denton Friday morning, during the ?crush and rush? of campaigning leading up to the primary election on March 2, with early voting already under way.Perry, a Republican seeking his third four-year term as governor, greeted more than 100 Denton County residents ? most of whom were invited by Perry?s campaign through e-mail ? at the Jupiter House coffee shop on the Square...

Prosecution Files Objections to Findings of Special Master in Sharon Keller Case: Says Keller Deserves Punishment

Posted on February 18, 2010
The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that the prosecution, representing the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, has filed a document objecting to the findings issued by the Special Master Judge David Berchelmann.Texas Moratorium Network filed a complain against Sharon Keller in 2007 that was signed by about 1900 people...

Statement of the Legal Defense Team for Hank Skinner Regarding Re-Scheduling of Execution

Posted on February 18, 2010
For Immediate ReleaseFebruary 17, 2009Contact: Rob Owen, University of Texas, 512-232-9391, rowen@law.utexas.eduSTATEMENT OF THE LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM FOR HANK SKINNER REGARDING RE-SCHEDULING OF MR. SKINNER?S EXECUTION"Today, February 17, we received notice for the first time that the judge of the convicting court yesterday withdrew Mr...

Breaking News: The execution of Hank Skinner postponed to March 24

Posted on February 17, 2010
The execution of Hank Skinner has been moved to March 24th, 2010.The death warrant is void. The judge granted the motion to vacate the February 24th execution date on the ground that the warrent of execution was void. In the same order he re-set Hank's execution date for March 24...

Action for Hank Skinner and 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Spring Break

Posted on February 17, 2010
Please scroll down to take action to help stop the execution of Hank Skinner, scheduled for February 24, 2010 in Texas. Read the article below for more information on Hank's case. Don't let Hank become the next Todd Willingham, an innocent person executed in Texas...

Hank Skinner Update

Posted on February 15, 2010
A number of legal documents have been posted on the website.On February 8th, Hank's attorney filed a motion in state court to vacate the order setting an execution date and recall void death warrant. There is a problem with the death warrant. Legally the judge has 10 days from the day he signs the order setting an execution date to the day he sends the death warrant to the prison warden...

Death Penalty Resolutions for Texas Democratic Party Precinct Conventions

Posted on February 14, 2010
The Texas Democratic Party will hold precinct conventions on March 2 at 7:15 PM. They are open to anyone who votes in the 2010 Texas Democratic primary. At the conventions you can take resolutions that will be voted on at the precinct conventions, and if they are also approved at the county or senatorial district conventions on March 20, they will go to the state convention for consideration...

Farouk Shami More Progressive on Criminal Justice Than Bill White

Posted on February 11, 2010
Former Texas Governor Mark White has said he supports a moratorium on executions, but the Texas Observer asked Democratic gubernatorial nominee candidate Bill White (no relation to Mark) and Bill said he does not support a moratorium. We will try to meet with him to explain why Texas needs a moratorium...

Death Row Inmates Tell Their Stories in New Book

Posted on February 10, 2010
Youtube video.The U.S. state with the busiest death chamber and one of the largest prison populations is Texas, where public-opinion polls show the death penalty is supported by more than 70 percent of the population. A new book, put together by students at a Texas university, compiles writings and art work done by condemned prisoners...

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