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StandDown Texas Project

Texas-centric examination of conditions, reform initiatives, and emerging issues related to best practices in the indigent criminal justice system with particular attention to issues involving capital punishment and the administration of the death penalty.
By StandDown Texas Project

Post Frequency: 49.3/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 14:21:29

Editorial Roundup

Posted on February 23, 2010
Today's Wichita Eagle carries the editorial, "At least Senate had debate, vote," written by Rhonda Holman for the editorial board. Under Kansas' death penalty statute, it takes 12 jurors to hand down a death sentence, which must be unanimous. But...

More Book Reviews

Posted on February 23, 2010
David Dow wraps up author events with three events scheduled this week: Tuesday, February 23rd ? Book People ? Austin, TX Wednesday, February 24th ? Barnes & Noble ? San Antonio, TX Saturday, February 27th ? Politics & Prose ?...

Doctors Who Aid in Executions Unlikely to Face Sanctions

Posted on February 22, 2010
That's the title of a post at the AMA's American Medical News written by Kevin O'Reilly. It's subtitled, "Capital punishment opponents want medical boards to punish these physicians, but a new study finds that boards do not have the legal...

More Reviews for Dow's Autobiography of an Execution

Posted on February 22, 2010
"'A Texas attorney and law professor chronicles his often difficult efforts to have death-row clients spared in a book that is part memoir and part historical account," is the title of Art Winslow's review in the Sunday edition of the...

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Kansas Senate Rejects Repeal in Tie Vote

Posted on February 22, 2010
Friday afternoon the Kansas Senate voted against repealing it's capital punishment law by the narrowest possible margin -- a tie vote. "Senate rejects bill abolishing Kan. death penalty," was the title of John Milburn's AP report, from the Alva Review-Courier...

Is Texas About To Execute Another Innocent Man?

Posted on February 22, 2010
That's the title of Radley Balko's latest post at Reason.com. It's subtitled, "State officials would rather kill a prisoner than give him a DNA test." It's a must-read: Henry Watkins ?Hank? Skinner was supposed to be executed tomorrow, but last...

Adam Liptak on the Charles Dean Hood Case

Posted on February 22, 2010
The New York Times has posted his Tuesday Sidebar column online. It's titled, "Questions of an Affair and a Fair Trial." Charles Dean Hood was sentenced to death in 1990 by a Texas judge who had been sleeping with the...

Editorial Support for North Carolina Innocence Commission Following Exoneration

Posted on February 19, 2010
Thanks to Gerda Stein of North Carolina's Center for Death Penalty Litigation for forwarding all the coverage linked below. The News & Observer of Raleigh has the editorial, "Blood-hounded." Greg Taylor's claim that he was railroaded into prison, wrongfully convicted...

Charles Dean Hood Case Returns to View

Posted on February 19, 2010
Diane Jennings reports, "Prominent attorneys seek Supreme Court review of Hood death penalty case," at the Dallas Morning Crime blog. Here's her post: A former governor, a former district attorney, a former U.S. attorney from North Texas, and the former...

Kansas Senate Considering SB 375 Now - UPDATED

Posted on February 19, 2010
The Kansas Senate is now considering Senate Bill 375. You can listen to the proceedings here. UPDATE -- It's nearing 1:00 pm, and I'll be leaving the office for a meetin. The debate has been continuing since it started at...

South Dakota House Rejects Repeal Bill

Posted on February 19, 2010
"SD lawmakers refused to repeal death penalty," is the AP report via KTIV-TV. A move to repeal the death penalty in South Dakota has once again been rejected in the state Legislature. The House Health Committee voted 8-5 to kill...

Kansas Senate Will Consider Repeal Bill Today

Posted on February 19, 2010
The Kansas The Kansas Senate has convened and is in session. You can listen to the proceedings here; to track the agenda, today's calendar is here. Today's Topeka Capital-Journal reports, "Senate to debate death penalty," written by Tim Carpenter. The...

Continuing Coverage SCJC - In Re: Keller

Posted on February 19, 2010
Mary Alice Robbins has posted "Both Sides Take Issue With Special Master's Findings in Keller Case," at Texas Lawyer. Prosecutors for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct argue in objections filed Feb. 17 that Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding...

More on Florida's Execution of Martin Grossman

Posted on February 18, 2010
Nochum Kurinsky writes the commentary, "The Day I Watched a Man Die," at Yeshiva World News. Here's an extended excerpt" Today I watched a man die. The call came in at about 2:00 pm. ?Can you be with Mr. Martin...

Death Penalty Takes Resources Away From Solving Other Murders

Posted on February 18, 2010
That's the title of an OpEd in today's Silicon Valley Mercury News, written by Judy Kerr. She's the Northern California outreach coordinator for California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. LINK This month marks the 25th anniversary of...

South Dakota House in Session

Posted on February 18, 2010
For those who want to hear the floor debate on HB 1245, the South Dakota House of Representatives has convened and is conducting business. Audio of the House Session is at this LINK. Earlier coverage of the legislation begins with...

North Carolina Innocence Commission Proves Worth With First Exoneration

Posted on February 18, 2010
Today's New York Times reports, "Judges Free Inmate on Recommendation of Special Innocence Panel." It's written by Robbie Brown. It was a non-capital case. Here's an extended excerpt: Acting at the recommendation of a special state innocence commission ? the...

Muskogee Phoenix Opposes Oklahoma Legislation

Posted on February 18, 2010
"Stop extension of state executions," is the title of an editorial in today's edition of the Muskogee Phoenix. We disagree in principle with a proposal in the state Legislature to execute repeat child rapists. Sex crimes against children are abhorrent,...

South Dakota Legislature to Debate Repeal Today

Posted on February 18, 2010
"Bill Would Repeal South Dakota's Death Penalty," is the title of a KSFY-TV report by Jim Nelson. Thursday morning, state lawmakers will discuss a bill to eliminate the death penalty in South Dakota. Capital punishment was re-introduced to South Dakota...

Florida's Execution of Martin Grossman

Posted on February 17, 2010
Last night, the state of Florida executed Martin Grossman. It was Florida's first execution of 2010. I was struck by an item from the Palm Beach Post, "State executes fifth inmate in 17 months, despite protests from Jewish groups," by...

Post-Conviction DNA Testing - Part 2 - Hank Skinner in Texas

Posted on February 17, 2010
In stark contrast to what is happening in Georgia in the Carlton Gary case, Texas officials seem intent on denying post-conviction DNA testing to Hank Skinner. In Georgia, the state Supreme Court stayed his scheduled December execution, ordering a lower...

Post-Conviction DNA Testing - Part 1 - Carlton Gary in Georgia

Posted on February 17, 2010
Today's Columbus Leger-Enquirer reports, "Gary DNA hearing may be averted," written by Tim Chitwood. Before resigning Tuesday, Muscogee Superior Judge Robert Johnston III again had ordered that Stocking Strangler Carlton Gary be brought to Columbus for a hearing on DNA-testing...

More on Defeat of Virginia 'Triggerman' Legislation

Posted on February 17, 2010
Virginia's Augusta Free Press carries, "Gilbert: 'We are back to square one' on triggerman bill," by Chris Graham. Legislation known as the triggerman bill that would extend exposure to the death penalty to people complicit but not actually participants in...

In Maryland

Posted on February 17, 2010
John Wagner posts the current status of death penalty legislation and lethal injection regulations at the Washington Post's Maryland Politics blog, "O'Malley puts a spotlight on home foreclosures." The issue O'Malley chose to highlight with his personal testimony last year...

Commission on Judicial Conduct Presses Prosecution of Sharon Keller

Posted on February 17, 2010
Special Counsel John McKetta has responed to the Special Master's Finding in In RE: Keller. His Objections and Responses are in Adobe .pdf format. It calls upon the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, "...to determine such consequences to Judge Keller's...

Skinner Execution Stayed - Reset for March 24

Posted on February 17, 2010
The state district court with authority over the Hank Skinner case has withdrawn the February 24th execution date. The court reset the execution date for March 24th. Skinner's attorneys issued the following statement: We are dismayed that the court chose,...

How Many More Are Innocent?

Posted on February 16, 2010
That's the title of Radley Balko's post from last week at his Reason.com blog. It's subtitled, "America's 250th DNA exoneration raises questions about how often we send the wrong person to prison." Thanks to the loyal reader who forwarded. An...

Book Reviews

Posted on February 16, 2010
There are new book reviews of David Dow's The Autobiography of an Execution, and John Temple's The Last Lawyer. "David Dow's memoir, 'The Autobiography of an Execution,' is a piercing work, condemning a system, disliking the condemned," is the title....

Virginia Senate Committee Rejects Expansion

Posted on February 16, 2010
"Va. Senate panel rejects death penalty use for accomplices," is the title of Rosalind Helderman's article in today's Washington Post. A key committee of the Virginia Senate rejected a bill Monday that would have expanded the use of the death...

More on the Hank Skinner Case

Posted on February 16, 2010
David Protess, Director of the acclaimed Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University in Chicago, was interviewed recently by the Houston Independent Media Center, broadcast on KPFT-FM. It's online at, "Hank Skinner: Another Question of Innocence on Texas Death Row...

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