Criminal Law

Panetti Follow Up
On remand after the U.S. Supreme Court decision last June in Panetti v. Quarterman, No. 06-6407, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas has found Scott Panetti to be competent to be executed...

Hearing for Scott Panetti
Scott Panetti's lawyers won a major case, Panetti v. Quarterman, in the U.S. Supreme Court last year, which allowed his lawyers to return to federal district court to demonstrate the severity of his mental illness...

Scott Panetti deemed competent for execution
As reported here at DPIC linking to this local story, "U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks in Texas has ruled Scott Panetti mentally competent enough to be executed." Here are more details from the local story: Nearly one year after...

Panetti: Remand for Ford Mental Illness Review
In Panetti v. Quarterman, No. 06-6407 (June 28, 2007), the Supreme Court reversed the denial of habeas relief to a Texas inmate sentenced to death despite his well-documented history of mental illness...

Scott Panetti Deemed Competent to Be Executed
AFP reports that Judge Sam Sparks once again has found Scott Panetti competent to be executed ("Schizophrenic death row man in Texas on path to execution," March 27, 2008). The judge ruled that Panetti possessed sufficient rational understanding of the reason for his execution...

Another Twist in Scott Panetti's Case
U.S. Federal District Judge Sam Sparks has issued a ruling declaring Scott Panetti competent to be executed. AFP reports, "Schizophrenic death row man in Texas on path to execution...