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Criminal Law

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

The Real Murder Mystery? It's the Low Crime Rate

Posted on August 04, 2009
That's the title of a New York Times report by Shaila Dewan. It appeared in the Saturday edition. LINK Here's an extended excerpt: MAYBE it is time to call in one of those clairvoyants who help detectives solve the case....

Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses ABA Annual Meeting

Posted on August 04, 2009
The transcript of Holder's prepared speech is here. "Holder: Jail is not only crime solution," is the Chicago Tribune report written by Kristen Schorsch. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, addressing the American Bar Association on Monday, called for getting not...

Racial Justice Act Back on Senate Agenda

Posted on August 04, 2009
SB 461 is back on the North Carolina Senate calendar today. The body convenes at 3:00 pm, and it will be webcast. "Senate could allow bias test in death sentences," is the AP report via the News & Observer of...

Ohio Governor Faces Rare Clemency Recommendation

Posted on August 03, 2009
That's the title of an AP report by Thomas Sheeran in Saturday's Dayton Daily News. LINK Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is in an unusual position: Should he listen to advisers who suggest he spare the life of a death row...

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Rick Casey on the Trail of a Mystery

Posted on August 03, 2009
"Mystery: Who killed witness bill?," is the title of Casey's Houston Chronicle column from Friday's edition. We all love a mystery, so here's one: In the current issue of Badge and Gun, a publication of the Houston Police Officers' Union,...

Office of Last Chance

Posted on August 03, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Houston Chronicle praising legislation that will create a state Office of Capital Writs. LINK Death-row appeals are life-and-death matters. Starting next year, Texas will finally make sure that they're done right...

Keller Trial Set to Begin August 17

Posted on August 03, 2009
Let's start with Chuck Lindell's report, "Keller to attack credibility of defense lawyers at her trial," from the Sunday Austin American-Statesman. Judge Sharon Keller, facing potentially career-ending charges that she improperly closed her court to a death row appeal, will...

Monday

Posted on August 03, 2009
After a crowded four days in Chicago at the ABA Annual Meeting, I'm back and in catch-up mode. I'll start with previews of Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller trial, scheduled to begin in two weeks. There is...

RJA Delayed

Posted on July 30, 2009
"Many of the state's DAs oppose Racial Justice Act," is the title of Scott Sexton's column in this morning's Winston-Salem Journal. The name of the bill says it all: the Racial Justice Act. Its aim is noble, and its goal...

Thursday

Posted on July 30, 2009
I'm traveling to Chicago today to attend the ABA Annual Meeting. Posts will resume later today.

Love Lived on Death Row

Posted on July 29, 2009
That's the title of a new documentary by North Carolina filmmaker Linda Booker. It's also the title of her guest post on Michael Landauer's Dallas Morning News blog. Here's the beginning of this compelling post: If you had told me...

The Illinois Moratorium

Posted on July 29, 2009
"State moratorium on executions - 10 years and counting," is the title of Robert Sanchez's report in the Daily Herald, Chicago's suburban paper. More than a decade has passed since an execution occurred in Illinois. Experts say it could be...

In North Carolina

Posted on July 29, 2009
It appears that the Racial Justice Act (SB 461) is back on the North Carolina Senate calendar for today's session, which convenes at 3:00 pm (EDT.) The Senate session will be webcast here. As noted yesterday, senators passed an earlier...

Texas Lyceum to Examine Criminal Justice and Death Penalty Issues

Posted on July 28, 2009
Today's Huntsville Item reports, "Texas Lyceum to meet at SHSU." The Texas Lyceum, a statewide non-profit leadership group focused on identifying the next generation of Texas leaders and examining public policy affecting Texas and the U.S., will meet in the...

Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Sotomayor Nomination

Posted on July 28, 2009
The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted 13-6 to approve the nomination. It now goes to the Senate floor where a vote is expected next week. More at Politico. Earlier coverage is here.

From Michele Deitch

Posted on July 28, 2009
Michele is the lead author of From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System. The report provides the first-ever comprehensive look at how the nation treats pre-adolescent children (primarily those age 12 and under)...

North Carolina Senate Takes Up Racial Justice Act

Posted on July 28, 2009
The North Carolina Senate convenes at 3:00 pm (EDT) today and SB 461is on the agenda. The Senate passed an earlier version of the legislation. If the Senate concurs today with changes made in the NC House of Representatives, the...

12 and in Prison

Posted on July 28, 2009
That's the title of today's New York Times lead editorial. LINK The Supreme Court sent an important message when it ruled in Roper v. Simmons in 2005 that children under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed were...

In Pennsylvania

Posted on July 27, 2009
Ron Todt of the Associated Press writes, "Natural causes biggest threat on Pa. death row," via the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ten years ago, Gary Heidnik had two slices of cheese pizza and a couple of cups of black coffee, met with...

In Connecticut

Posted on July 27, 2009
The Hartford Courant has a lengthy report that begins with Alaine Griffin's "Cases Involving Possible Death Penalty A Long Process." Nancy Filiault waited nearly four years for a Superior Court jury to convict Jonathan Mills of fatally stabbing her sister...

The State of Capital Punishment

Posted on July 27, 2009
A handful of weekend articles examine the current state of capital punishment in the nation. First, a column by James Cummings. He's a staff writer at Ohio's Dayton Daily News. It's titled, "Death penalty is being phased out." Here's an...

Death-Penalty Bias

Posted on July 27, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in the Sunday edition of North Carolina's Winston-Salem Journal. LINK Here's an extended excerpt: The problems with the death penalty in this state have been underscored time and time again, including through three high-profile...

New Office to Handle Texas Capital Habeas Filings

Posted on July 27, 2009
"State to handle capital appeals," is the title of Lise Olsen's report in the San Antonio Express-News. It appeared in the Sunday edition. Texas, which executes more convicts than any state in the nation, will open its first capital defense...

More Commentary From Robert Baldwin

Posted on July 24, 2009
The Alabama physician writes, "Don't stand for injustice," for the Montgomery Advertiser. Here's an excerpt: In addition, Alabama is one of only three states that allow a judge to impose a death sentence over a jury recommendation of life without...

My Brother on Death Row

Posted on July 24, 2009
That's the title of an interview conducted by Alice Kim for In These Times. It's subtitled, "Troy Davis' sister speaks out, as Davis awaits a Supreme Court decision." Martina Correia, Davis? sister, has led an international campaign to save her...

Commentary and Coverage of Sentencing Project Report

Posted on July 24, 2009
The Sentencing Project report, "No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences In America,"was issued earlier this week, and noted here. Today's Philadelphia Inquirer carries the editorial, "Inequality under law." Here's an excerpt: The arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis...

The Judgment of Sharon Keller

Posted on July 24, 2009
That's the title of Michael Hall's latest Texas Monthly must-read, in the August issue. LINK Here's the opening: The most infamous phone call in recent Texas history came on the afternoon of September 25, 2007, when, at 4:45, Ed Marty,...

More News From the Texas Tribune

Posted on July 23, 2009
The Texas Tribune continues to make news in advance of its premiere this fall. Ross Ramsey, editor of Texas Weekly has signed on as managing editor of the Tribune, which is acquiring the 25 year-old political tipsheet. In a news...

CCA Orders Hearing in Roderick Newton Case

Posted on July 23, 2009
"Stay of execution granted for man convicted in '99 Pleasant Grove murder," is the title of Jennifer Emily's report in today's Dallas Morning News. You can view the CCA order here. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday granted...

The Bush Judicial Legacy, by the Numbers

Posted on July 23, 2009
That's the title of Tony Mauro's report at National Law Journal. LINK Here's an excerpt: The latest issue of Judicature is out, and it offers the most comprehensive empirical look yet at the judicial legacy of former President George W....

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