Texas Death Penalty Blog: Criminal Law

Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Criminal Law

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

"Images from Texas Death Row " Exhibit at Texas Capitol May 18-22

Posted on May 19, 2009
Please come to the opening day reception for the exhibit of John Holbrook's death row photographs in the Texas Capitol at 6 PM on Monday and the artist's talk at 7 PM."Images from Texas Death Row" to be Exhibited in the Ground Floor Rotunda of the Texas CapitolMonday, May 18 - Friday May 22Event: Images from Texas Death Row "The Photography of John Holbrook"Sponsor: Texas Friends and Allies Against the Death PenaltyDates: May 18 - May 22Where: The Texas State Capitol Building in the 'Ground Floor Rotunda' (Take elevator down to G)Reception May 18 at 6 PM in the Texas Capitol Members Lounge - Extension, Room E2...

Global Day of Action for Troy Davis

Posted on May 17, 2009
Troy Davis is a man on death row with a compelling case for innocence. No murder weapon, no physical evidence, and 7 of 9 eye witnesses have recanted their testimony. Yet no jury has ever heard this evidence. The 11th Circuit Court has denied Troy Davis' most recent petition and a new execution date may come as early as mid-May...

Texas House Passes Kenneth Foster, Jr Act (HB 2267, the Law of Parties Bill)

Posted on May 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:CONTACTS: Scott Cobb, President, Texas Moratorium Network, admin@texasmoratorium.org, 512-552-4743;Bryan McCann, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, bmccann@mail.utexas.edu, 512-739-4024Texas House of Representatives Passes Law of Parties Bill (HB 2267)Amendment Adopted for the Bill to be Known as "The Kenneth Foster Jr, Act"Austin, TX ? May 15, 2009 ? The Texas House of Representatives today passed House Bill 2267, "The Kenneth Foster, Jr Act"...

HB 2267 Passes Texas House on 2nd Reading

Posted on May 14, 2009
The Texas House of Representatives just passed the Law of Parties bill (HB 2267) on second reading. There was no objection. It passed on a voice vote. It now must pass on 3rd reading by the deadline of Friday at midnight. If it passes on third reading, then it goes to the Senate.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Law of Parties Bill 2 Away from Vote in Texas House

Posted on May 14, 2009
The Law of Parties bill (HB 2267) by Rep Terri Hodge and Rep Harold Dutton is only 2 bills away from a vote in the Texas House. Currently voting on HB 2411Watch the video live from the Texas House here (opens a real player stream).

Law of Parties Bill Passes Texas House on Second Reading

Posted on May 14, 2009
The Law of Parties bill (HB 2267) by Rep Terri Hodge and Rep Harold Dutton has passed the Texas House on second reading.

Shanda Perkins nomination busted

Posted on May 13, 2009
In a rare public rebuke to Gov. Rick Perry, the Texas Senate this afternoon blocked Perry?s nomination of unemployed Burleson banker Shanda Perkins to become a member of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles. After a brief debate, the GOP-controlled Senate by a 24-7 vote sent the nominee of fellow Republican Perry back to the Nominations Committee, where it is expected to die...

Death Row Photography Exhibit at the Capitol

Posted on May 13, 2009

Another Setback for Kevin Cooper

Posted on May 11, 2009
From the Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise] Condemned prisoner Kevin Cooper was denied a rehearing Monday by a federal appellate panel in a 114-page order that bristled with dissents, one of them claiming that "the state of California may be about to execute an innocent man...

Death Penalty presentation this Wed. @ Resistencia

Posted on May 11, 2009
En el corazon del South Austin tenemos un love for liberation! c/s Red Salmon Arts & Resistencia Bookstore Calendar May 2009 7pm Wednesday May 13, 2009 Red Salmon Arts presents The Death Penalty and the Modern Meaning of Southern Justice: a platica/discussion with Melynda Price Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law Melynda Price teaches in the areas of torts, immigration, law and social science and law and popular culture...

Does Anti-Death Penalty Public Information Campaigns Work?

Posted on May 08, 2009
While reading Barkan & Cohn's 2005 paper On reducing white support for the death penalty: A pessimistic appraisal (Criminology & Public Policy, 4, 39-44), I noticed the following assessment of the effectiveness of the public information campaigns by the anti-death penalty groups to bring awareness about the racism in our death penalty system...

Midnight Friday Deadline to Help Texas Anti-Death Penalty Groups Win $3,000; Vote for Us Today!

Posted on May 08, 2009
The deadline to vote for Texas anti-death penalty groups in the Jenzabar Social Media Leadership Award contest for $3,000 is Friday, May 8, at midnight.They will announce the finalists on May 11 and the winner on May 13. We are doing great, especially considering our entry is made up of all-volunteer groups that are able to accomplish a lot with very little funding...

HB 2267 (Law of Parties bill) Voted out of Calendars for Vote on House Floor May 8

Posted on May 07, 2009
I just talked to Terri Hodge's office at 11:15 PM tonight and found out that HB 2267 (the Law of Parties bill) passed Calendars today and was placed on the General State Calendar for May 8, which means it could be voted on this Friday on the floor of the House...

Colorado Senate Votes to Defeat the Abolition Bill

Posted on May 06, 2009
The Colorado Senate has voted 18-17 to defeat a measure that would have repealed the death penalty and use the savings from its elimination to fund cold case investigations.Four Democrats sided with Republicans Wednesday to shoot down the measure. The bill had faced tough opposition since it was introduced...

Protest the 200th Execution Under Texas Governor Rick Perry

Posted on May 05, 2009
On June 2, 2009, the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry is scheduled to take place. Since he became governor of Texas in December 2000, Perry has allowed more executions to proceed than any other governor in U.S. history. The date of the 200th execution could change if any scheduled executions are successfully stopped...

Op-Ed by State Rep Lon Burnam: Approve resolution calling for impeachment of Keller

Posted on May 04, 2009
Approve resolution calling for impeachment of KellerBy STATE REP. LON BURNAMMay 1, 2009By far, the most profound of powers vested in Texas government is the prerogative to take a human life. The decision to execute an inmate demonstrates the state?s full and ultimate authority...

Judge Rules in Favor of Charles Dean Hood

Posted on May 04, 2009
District Court Judge Greg Brewer has ruled that death-row inmate Charles Dean Hood received an unfair trial due to the fact that the prosecutor of the case had a sexual relationship with the judge. Here is what CBS' Andrew Cohen had to say about the case...

Colorado May End Death Penalty to Focus on Cold Cases

Posted on May 03, 2009
I don't know how many of you are following the death penalty abolition in Colorado, but this Washington Post article is worth a read. Like many of the state's considering abolition, CO is mainly talking about cost. The interesting thing about this one is that the bill would use the money saved after abolition to investigate cold cases...

Sharon Keller Questions

Posted on May 01, 2009
Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman has answered a few common questions regarding Judge Sharon Keller. Why didn?t Keller send the request for more time to Judge Johnson? After all, Johnson was the duty judge assigned to handle Richard?s case...

Video of Execution Vigil in Austin for 198th Execution Under Rick Perry

Posted on May 01, 2009
Derrick Johnson was executed April 30, 2009 in Texas. He was the 198th person executed under current Texas Governor Rick Perry. He was the 437th person executed in Texas since 1982. The 200th execution under Perry is currently scheduled for June 2.Watch video on YouTube of Vigil...

Statesman: Compensation for unjust convictions in Texas

Posted on April 30, 2009
The following is the Austin American-Statesman's editorial in support of the Timothy Cole Act, which passed the House last week and is waiting for the Senate's vote.Compensation for unjust convictions in TexasTimothy Cole Act would honor signature victim of wrongful conviction who diedin prison...

Daily Texan: Support Keller impeachment

Posted on April 29, 2009
Support Keller impeachmentSharon Keller denied Michael Richard?s constitutional rights when she closed her courtroom at 5 p.m. and refused to accept his last-minute appeal (?Representative initiates efforts for impeachment of Sharon Keller,? April 28)...

Report Fom Our Second Lobby Day Against the Death Penalty This Year

Posted on April 29, 2009
Yesterday, we were at the Texas capitol from 9:30 to 1 AM meeting with legislators about HB 2267 to end the death penalty under the Law of Parties, talking to the media and testifying at the hearing on the Sharon Keller impeachment resolution.We spoke with members of the Calendars Committee about the Law of Parties and were encouraged by what we heard from a couple of offices...

Legislative testimony by TCRP board member and TCRP director regarding the proposed impeachment of Judge Sharon Keller:

Posted on April 28, 2009
A Letter to the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil JurisprudenceTexas LegislatureRe: HR 480 (impeaching Judge Sharon Keller)Honorable Chair and Committee Members:As Director of a statewide civil rights nonprofit organization, I respectfullyurge passage of HR-480 so that the House of Representatives may begin theprocess of considering the impeachment of Judge Sharon Keller for abuse of heroffice, one of the most important judicial positions in the state...

Live Blogginng From Texas Capitol

Posted on April 27, 2009
The hearing on Lon Burnam's HR 480 has started. Click here to Watch a live streaming video of the Sharon Keller Impeachment HearingClick on Live Stream 4 to watch in the afternoon Texas Legislature WebsiteApril 27, 2009

Help Texas Anti-Death Penalty Groups Win $3,000 to Use Against the Death Penalty

Posted on April 25, 2009
Several Texas anti-death penalty groups are jointly entered in the Jenzabar Social Media Leadership Award contest for $3,000. The winner is the entry that gets the most people to comment on their entry by April 30, so to "vote", you leave a comment. We have a good chance to win this and we deserve to win because we have all used social media tools very effectively to jointly mobilize against the Texas death penalty...

Statesman: New claims in Bastrop murder appeal

Posted on April 24, 2009
Rodney Reed's lawyers have cited new allegations of sexual misconduct against Jimmy Fennel in their latest appeal. Austin American Statesman has more details about the case.Reed was convicted in the 1996 Bastrop County murder of Stacey Stites, who was Fennell's fianc�e at the time...

'Killer' Keller Digs Herself Deeper

Posted on April 24, 2009
This week's issue of the Austin Chronicle has the following on the Sharon Keller's case,Nearly two dozen legal ethicists have signed on to a declaration filed Tuesday with the State Commission on Judicial Con�duct calling for the ouster of Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon "Killer" Keller...

Charles T. Terrell on Innocence

Posted on April 24, 2009
The following is Charles T. Terrell's letter to the editors of the Dallas Morning News. Mr. Terrell is the former chairman of the board, for Texas Criminal Justice Department.I join you in thanking and congratulating state Sen. Royce West and Sen. Rodney Ellis for their leadership in helping innocent people who may have spent years in prison for crimes they did not commit, and for establishing an innocence commission to lessen the chances of an innocent person being sent to prison -- or worse, to death row...

Check out some of our youtube videos

Posted on April 22, 2009

Previous | Next

Related Law Bulletins

Report Offers Motor Vehicle Accident Death Rates in Frederick County, Maryland Between 2001 and 2006
A recent analysis by the Frederick News-Post of deadly accidents i...

$16 Million Jury Award for Heart Attack Death Among Largest Medical Malpractice Verdicts in Connecticut
October 3, 2007 issue of Newsday reports: "BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A S...

Death of Elderly Man Results in $1.7 Million Philadelphia Verdict When a Ventilator Mucus Plug Suffocates Him
The Estate of 77 year old man was awarded $1.7 million by a Philad...

John Ritter’s Family Takes $67 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit to Court
Jury selection in the wrongful death of actor John Ritter began in...

Parents of Illinois teen found guilty following auto accident resulting in death
Injuries and even death are often a tragic result when alcohol and...