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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

Death Penalty Free Austin Campaign

Posted on June 28, 2010
Meeting to launch the Death Penalty Free Austin Campaign!Wednesday, June 30 at 7PMCarver Library Meeting Room 1, Rosewood and AngelinaAll groups and individuals opposed to the death penalty: COME TO THIS MEETING!Following a series of scandals relating the use of capital punishment in Texas, local activists from many organizations will be pressing a campaign to end the pursuit of death sentences in Travis County...

Death Row Survivor Juan Melendez to Speak at State Convention of the Texas Democratic Party at Caucus Meeting of "Democrats Against the Death Penalty"

Posted on June 23, 2010
Juan Melendez, who spent 17 years, 8 months and 1 day on Florida's death row for a crime he did not commit, will speak at the caucus meeting of "Democrats Against the Death Penalty" at the Texas Democratic Party State Convention in Corpus Christi on Friday, June 25, 2010 in Room 225D-E at the American Bank Center...

2010 Platform of the Texas Republican Party Endorses the Death Penalty for Rape

Posted on June 23, 2010
The 2010 platform of the Texas Republican Party endorses the death penalty for people convicted of rape.In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 7-2 Coker v. Georgia decision that applying the death penalty in rape cases was forbidden by the Eighth Amendment to the U...

Austin American-Statesman Recommends Clemency in form of Life Without Parole for David Powell

Posted on June 08, 2010
The Austin American-Statesman is recommending clemency instead of the death penalty for David Powell. Specifically, they recommend that "life without parole would be fair punishment for David Lee Powell". Clemency means to moderate the severity of punishment, which is exactly what the Statesman is recommending...

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Musician Lucinda Williams' PSA on Why David Powell Should Not be Executed

Posted on June 04, 2010
Here is a link to a new David Powell PSA by the American folk and country singer and songwriter Lucinda Williams. For more information, visit letdavidlive.org.Click here to send an email to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg urging her to ask the judge to withdraw the June 15 execution date for David Powell.

New Video of Forensic Psychiatrist Seth Silverman on Why David Powell Should Not be Executed

Posted on June 04, 2010
Here is a link to a new video Forensic psychiatrist Seth Silverman, who has treated David Powell on Texas Death Row. He talks about why David is no threat, what his worth is, and what would be lost by executing him. David Powell's execution is scheduled for June 15, 2010...

Austin Police Association Charters Bus to David Powell Execution, But Not All Austin Police Agree He Should Be Executed After 32 Years

Posted on June 04, 2010
The Austin Police Association is chartering a bus to take its members and friends to the execution of David Powell on June 15, 2010. The Police Association is out of step with the community that its members serve. As police officers, the members of the Association serve with dignity and honor and provide a critical and much appreciated service to the community...

George Jones Executed Today - 220th Person Executed Under Rick Perry

Posted on June 04, 2010
Updated at 7PM on June 2, 2010.Tuesday, June 2, Texas executed George Jones (TDCJ info). He had an 11th grade education. More than 80 percent of all people in Texas prisons are high school dropouts.Alba was the 459th person executed in Texas since 1982 and the 220th person since Rick Perry became governor...

Execution Watch: George Jones faces lethal injection Wednesday

Posted on June 01, 2010
By Elizabeth SteinProducer, Execution WatchTexas plans to execute George Jones by lethal injection Wednesday. Execution Watch will broadcast details, plus an interview with Scott Christianson, author of The Last Gasp: The Rise and Fall of the American Gas Chamber...

New Video of David Powell's Mother Marjorie Powell; Her son's execution is scheduled for June 15, 2010

Posted on May 30, 2010
Here is a link to a new video of David Powell's mother, Marjorie Powell. Her son's execution is scheduled for June 15, 2010. He has been on death row in Texas for 32 years. For more information, visit letdavidlive.org.Click here to send an email to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg urging her to ask the judge to withdraw the June 15 execution date for David Powell...

Juan Melendez, Death Row Exoneree, to Speak at "Democrats Against the Death Penalty" Caucus at Texas Democratic Party State Convention June 25-26 in Corpus Christi

Posted on May 30, 2010
Juan Melendez, an innocent man who spent more than 17 years on death row for a crime he did not commit, will be coming to Corpus Christi, Texas June 25-26 to attend the 2010 Texas Democratic Party State Convention and to speak at the meeting of "Democrats Against the Death Penalty" at 1 PM on Friday, June 25...

It's Tuesday, It Must be Time for Another Execution in Texas - Tuesday May 25 John Alba Becomes 219th Executed Person Under Rick Perry

Posted on May 30, 2010
UPDATE: May 25, 6:50 pm. John Alba has been executed.Tuesday, May 25, Texas is scheduled to execute John Alba (TDCJ info). He has a 10th grade education.If he is executed, Alba will be the 458th person executed in Texas since 1982 and the 219th person since Rick Perry became governor...

Breaking News: The U.S. Supreme Court just decided to hear Hank Skinner's case

Posted on May 24, 2010
Breaking news: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Texas death row inmate Hank Skinner should have access to evidence for DNA testing that could clear him of three murders.The justices said they will use Skinner?s case to decide whether prison inmates may use a federal civil rights law to petition for DNA testing that was not performed prior to their conviction...

Saving David Powell: Sissy Farenthold

Posted on May 24, 2010
Here is a link to a new video testimonial from Sissy Farenthold about why David Powell should not be executed. His execution has been scheduled for June 15, 2010 after 32 years on death row. She has been visiting David Powell on death row for 20 years...

Tuesday targeted for 11th Texas execution in 2010

Posted on May 24, 2010
John Alba with one of his nine grandchildren,in the death row visiting area of the Polunsky prison unit, Livingston, Texas.By Elizabeth Stein, ProducerExecution Watch, KPFT FM HoustonTexas plans Tuesday make John Alba the 11th man executed in 2010 in the Lone Star State, putting it on track to carry out half of the executions in the United States...

Austin Chronicle Says "Let David Live": The execution of David Powell will not serve justice

Posted on May 22, 2010
Click here to send an email to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg urging her to ask the judge to withdraw the June 15 execution date for David Powell.From the Austin Chronicle:Point Austin: Let David LiveThe execution of David Powell will not serve justiceBY MICHAEL KINGHow much pain is enough to make up for irreparable harm? ? David PowellIf all goes according to plan, David Lee Powell will be executed by the state of Texas, in our names, on June 15...

New Website for Texas Forensic Science Commission, but still no progress on Todd Willingham Investigation

Posted on May 20, 2010
The Texas Forensic Science Commission has redesigned its website. It is still not very modern looking, so its hard to tell why they bothered. Maybe it is because they are just trying to stall the investigation into the case of Todd Willingham...

Film Screening: Saving David Powell

Posted on May 19, 2010
?How much pain is enough to make up for irreparable harm? I don?t know if you can make up for that.? FILM SCREENINGWEDNESDAY MAY 26 AT 7PMMONKEYWRENCH BOOKS110 E. NORTH LOOP BLVD.?Saving David Powell? is a call to action to stop the execution of David pwell in real time...

Texas Set to Execute Rogelio Cannady Today; Call Governor Perry at 512 463 1782

Posted on May 19, 2010
Today, May 19, Texas is scheduled to execute Rogelio Cannady (TDCJ info). He has an 8th grade education. Cannady has been sending a friend entries on a diary that his friend has been posting online at Death Watch Journal. The entry posted on May 13th and written by Cannady in his cell on May 2 reads:May 2nd, 2010 | SundayI was just speaking to my neighbor who is scheduled for execution a week before I am...

Execution Watch: Rogelio Cannady

Posted on May 18, 2010
By Elizabeth SteinProducer, Execution WatchOn Wednesday, Texas plans to execute Rogelio Cannady, the first person prosecuted under a 1993 Texas law permitting a charge of capital murder against a prisoner who kills someone while serving 99 years or life...

Drug shortage may imperil executions in Arizona

Posted on May 17, 2010
"Drug shortage may imperil executions in Arizona," is the title of Michael Kiefer's article for The Arizona Republic. Also read our previous blog post about our efforts to convince the Norwegian Oil Fund to divest from companies that produce the lethal drugs used in executions...

Texas Ahead of U.S. Supreme Court on Issue of Life Without Parole for Juvenile Offenders

Posted on May 17, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court banned life without parole for juvenile offenders convicted of non homicide crimes today in a 5-4 vote. This is one criminal justice issue where Texas is ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court, because Texas has banned life without parole for juveniles even in cases in which a juvenile is convicted of a capital crime...

Christian Ethics and Prisoners: "I was in prison and you visited me"

Posted on May 17, 2010
We ran across a couple of interesting articles about what Christian ethics teach about the importance of visiting people in prison. There are many people in prison who never receive visitors.In the article, "Prisoners and Other Strangers", Jack Miles explains why Christian ethics demand we treat prisoners as we would the Lord in an excerpt from "Ethics of the Neighbor," a talk presented May 16 at The First Natalie Limonick Symposium on Jewish Civilization at UCLA's Center for Jewish Studies...

Statewide "Public Defender for Capital Cases" Office Could Grow Out of West Texas Office

Posted on May 17, 2010
Many people have long advocated for a statewide office in Texas to defend people accused of capital crimes. The Texas Democratic Party has endorsed such an office in its party platform (PDF) since 2004. Now, Texas may soon get a Public Defender for Capital Cases office that would handle cases from 240 of Texas' 254 counties...

Iran Executes Five Political Prisoners

Posted on May 12, 2010
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALPRESS RELEASEAI Index: PRE 01/152/201011 May 2010IRAN EXECUTES FIVE POLITICAL PRISONERSAmnesty International today condemned the executions in Iran of four Kurdish political activists and another Iranian man, all convicted of "moharebeh" (enmity against God)"...

Death Row Prisoner Jafar Kazemi Subject to Severe Torture

Posted on May 12, 2010
According to reports from Human Right and Democracy Activists in Iran (HRDAI), political prisoner Jafar Kazemi has been subject to inhumane physical and psychological torture by security interrogator in ward 209 of Evin prison, to give scripted televised confession...

Call Texas Governor to Protest Two Executions in Texas This Week - Wednesday and Thursday

Posted on May 12, 2010
Texas is scheduled to execute two people this week. On Wednesday, May 12, Kevin Varga (left) is set to die (TDCJ info). He has a sixth grade education.Thursday, May 13, Billy Galloway is set to receive a lethal injection (TDCJ info). Galloway also only completed the sixth grade in school...

Statements of Elena Kagan on the Death Penalty

Posted on May 11, 2010
?I am fully prepared to argue, consistent with Supreme Court precedents, that the death penalty is constitutional.?"I can say that nothing about my personal views regarding the death penalty (relating either to policy or law) would make it difficult for me to carry out the Solicitor General?s responsibilities in this area...

Executions slated 5/12 & 5/13 for co-defendants Varga & Galloway

Posted on May 11, 2010
Two days, two executions. This is Texas.Execution Watch, the radio program that airs whenever Texas puts a citizen to death, will broadcast and stream live during both executions, unless stays are issued, with on-the-scene coverage from Huntsville, legal analysis, and in-depth interviews...

Watch ABC's 20/20 Program Tonight for Todd Willingham Report - Friday May 7

Posted on May 07, 2010
Watch ABC's 20/20 program tonight. They will be airing a segment on the Todd Willingham case and also on another case of a man in prison in Texas for committing arson for which the forensic science evidence has been discredited. We talked to the reporter earlier this week and provided them with a few photographs...

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