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Capital punishment news and notes

By Douglas A. Berman

In addition to lots of new posts of note at Capital Defense Weekly and StandDown Texas Project, Howard Bashman got a chance here, just before heading out on a deserved vacation, to report on this Fifth Circuit ruling that denies habeas relief to Texas death row inmate complaining that jurors improperly considered passages from the Bible during the sentencing phase of their deliberations. As noted in prior posts linked below the issue of Bible-influenced capital sentencing comes up a fair amount and it may only be a matter of time before the Supreme Court takes up a case like this new one from the Fifth Circuit. Some related prior posts: Will SCOTUS consider Bible-influenced capital sentencing? Notable split capital habeas ruling from the Fourth Circuit Colorado Supreme Court troubled by mixing sentencing and the Bible Another big circuit discussion of Bible-influenced capital sentencingcontinue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on August 15, 2008 (boomark / email).