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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

Burka's Appraisal of Presiding Judge Keller

Posted on February 25, 2009
It serves me right for neglecting Paul Burka's Texas Monthly blog for a few day. He posted, "Sharon Keller: Gone baby gone," Friday. Stick a fork in her: She?s done. There is no way Keller can survive this. The statute...

Missouri Lethal Injection Proecedure Ruled Legal

Posted on February 25, 2009
The opinion is Middleton, et al v. Missouri Department of Correction. A summary is here."Missouri high court ruling could clear way for setting of execution dates to resume," is Tony Rizzo's report in today's Kansas City Star.Missouri?s procedure for executing...

John Kelso on the Keller Complaint

Posted on February 24, 2009
The Austin American-Statesman columnist's latest is, "Execution, schmexecution: She was waitin' on the repair guy."One thing you can say about Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: She sure understands the importance of quitting time...

Harassment Charge in Pondexter Clemency Effort

Posted on February 24, 2009
"Harvard Law Interns Aiding Death-Row Inmate Detained by Sheriff, Suit Says," is Debra Cassens Weiss' report at ABA Journal, this morning.Two Harvard law students working as legal interns on behalf of a Texas death-row inmate were stopped by sheriff?s deputies...

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Where Is the Court on Keller?

Posted on February 24, 2009
A loyal reader sent me the Capitol Annex post, "Source Says Fellow Justices Want Keller To Resign." It's by Vince Leibowitz.A source closely connected with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals told Capitol Annex that several of the justices on...

State Should Take a Look at High Cost of Corrections

Posted on February 24, 2009
That's the title of an OpEd in today's Houston Chronicle by Marc Levin, director of the Center for Effective Justice. LINKAs state agencies are asked to prune 2.5 percent of their budgets, lawmakers must take a hard look at Texas?...

A Roundup From Other States

Posted on February 24, 2009
"Miller Wants Quick Vote on Death Penalty," is from today's Annapolis Digest in the Washington Post. It's by John Wagner.Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said yesterday that he would like to see a relatively quick, up-or-down committee...

Kansas Legislation to Get Hearing

Posted on February 24, 2009
"Bill to abolish death penalty will get legislative hearing," is the AP report via the Lawrence Journal-World.The state?s need to cut spending to prevent a budget deficit is a good argument for abolishing the death penalty to save money, Senate...

Colorado House Committee Approves Bill

Posted on February 24, 2009
"Execution repeal gains ground," is the article in today's Denver Post.A House committee Monday night, after hearing hours of emotional testimony, approved a bill that would ban the death penalty in Colorado. In a more than six-hour hearing before the...

Philadelphia Inquirer on Death Penalty

Posted on February 24, 2009
Today's editorial is titled, "The Death Penalty."Too few politicians today are willing to act in accordance with their conscience when doing so might risk their careers. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is doing that, though, with his push to abolish the...

How Can State Leaders Still Cling to Death Penalty?

Posted on February 23, 2009
That's the title of Dan Rodricks' latest column in the Sunday edition of the Baltimore Sun. LINKThe death penalty in the hands of politicians: Few things seem as twisted and as troubling as the matter of state-sponsored executions authorized by...

In Tennessee

Posted on February 23, 2009
Today's Tennessean carries the OpEd, "Time to end the death penalty out of a sense of fairness." It'b by Charles Strobel.As a member of the recently completed Committee to Study the Administration of the Death Penalty, I would like to...

The Montana House

Posted on February 23, 2009
"Lawmaker says death penalty ban has chance," is the AP report by Matt Gouras via Saturday's Great Falls Tribune.House Speaker Bob Bergren said Friday that he expects a few big policy initiatives could clear a legislative session that has seen...

A Bizarre Way to Judge Our Judges

Posted on February 23, 2009
That's the title of Rick Casey's latest column in the Houston Chronicle. LINKOne definition of bizarre is this: Texas putting on trial its top criminal judge for shutting the courthouse door on lawyers seeking a last-minute delay of their client?s...

The Latest News from Chuck Lindell

Posted on February 23, 2009
"Judge's ethics case may hinge on phone calls," is the latest Austin American-Statesman news article from the reporter who broke the story on Judge Keller's actions.Sharon Keller picked up the phone at her Austin home two times on the day...

Editorials on Keller Complaint

Posted on February 23, 2009
"Texas judge Keller should stand trial for rejecting an appeal filed after hours," is the Austin American-Statesman editorial from Sunday's edition.Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is scheduled to stand trial for her egregious decision...

The California Moratorium

Posted on February 23, 2009
Today's Los Angeles Times carries the editorial, "Death row futility."Today, a death row inmate is more likely to die of old age than to be put to death by the state. Since 1978, when California reinstated capital punishment, 43 have...

An Update on Paul House

Posted on February 23, 2009
The AP report, via Google News, is, "Ex-death row inmate's DNA not found on evidence."DNA from key evidence in a Tennessee woman's slaying does not match the man who spent more than two decades on death row for killing her,...

No Simple Answer to Death Penalty Decision

Posted on February 23, 2009
That's the title of an article in Colorado's Canon City Daily Record. It's written by Rachel Alexander and appeared in the Saturday edition. LINKFew things in the justice system raise passions like the death penalty. District Attorney candidates state their...

Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit Issues Report

Posted on February 23, 2009
Judge Barbara Hervey's office has released a report of the group's 2008 activities, I've put a link in the right column Reports section. It can be downloaded, here, as well. Here's the brief introduction:This report discusses the activities, research findings,...

Judge Kent Pleads Guilty, Retires

Posted on February 23, 2009
"Judge Kent accepts plea deal and retires from bench," is Mary Flood's report at the Houston Chronicle website.U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice today and retired from the bench, avoiding a trial...

In Utah

Posted on February 20, 2009
Adjunct law prof Troy Booher writes the OpEd, "Delay giveing Legislature judicial power," in the Deseret News.The Utah attorney general has proposed a constitutional amendment that would transfer judicial power to the Utah Legislature. The proposal is SJR14, which provides...

Indigent Defense in Georgia

Posted on February 20, 2009
"Bill to weaken PD council passes," is Greg Land's report in the Fulton County Daily Report.After hearing a litany of complaints about what sponsors termed an irresponsible, disrespectful and dysfunctional council, the Georgia Senate on Thursday passed legislation that will,...

In Tennessee

Posted on February 20, 2009
"Bills aim to reform Tennessee's death penalty," is Kate Howard's report in today's Tennessean.Tennessee's death penalty needs major reform to ensure that people facing execution get fair trials, said members of a legislative study committee which just ended 16 months...

A Closed Court - The Early Coverage

Posted on February 20, 2009
As noted in an earlier post today, Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman broke the story of Judge Keller's order that the clerk's office should close at 5:00 pm on the day of the Richard execution. That coverage is contained...

A Judge Who Should Hope for Mercy

Posted on February 20, 2009
That's the title of Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey's latest. LINKJudge Sharon Keller, who heads the state?s highest court on criminal matters, is in the dock facing charges that could lead to her removal from office. She should hope for...

Texas News Coverage of Keller Proceedings

Posted on February 20, 2009
"Formal Proceedings Initiated Against CCA Presiding Judge Sharon Keller," is Mary Alice Robbins' report for Texas Lawyer.Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller faces a public hearing over what the State Commission on Judicial Conduct alleges was her...

National News Coverage of Keller Proceedings

Posted on February 20, 2009
"Texas Judge May Lose Job Over Appeal in Death Case," is James McKinley's report in today's New York Times.The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct took the highly unusual step Thursday of starting proceedings against the presiding judge of the state?s...

Thursday

Posted on February 19, 2009
I'll be out of the office much of the day. Posts will resume later today.

Paul Burka on Keller

Posted on February 19, 2009
"The NYT gets it right," is Paul Burka's latest post at his Texas Monthly Burka Blog.The New York Times this morning endorsed Lon Burnam?s impeachment resolution against Sharon Keller, the Criminal Court of Appeals judge who refused to keep the...

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