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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

More on the Case of Larry Swearingen

Posted on January 26, 2009
Chuck Lindell reports, "Four pathologists back death row inmate's innocence claim ," in the Saturday Austin American-Statesman.Four forensic pathologists agree that Larry Swearingen, set to be executed Tuesday, could not have committed the 1998 murder that sent him to death...

In Tennessee

Posted on January 26, 2009
The Sunday Memphis Commercial Appeal reports, "Reforms of Tennessee's capital punishment process face tough trials," by Michael Kelley.More than half of the 184 persons sentenced to death in Tennessee since capital punishment was restored in 1977 have had their sentences...

Court Interpreters in Short Supply in Multilingual Texas

Posted on January 26, 2009
That's the title of Dianne Solis' report for the Sunday Dallas Morning News. LINKThe Honduran woman had been beaten repeatedly. And when it was time to face her former boyfriend who she said had tormented her, she wanted the jury...

The Science of Murder - More on Larry Swearingen

Posted on January 26, 2009
That's the title of Michael Hall's latest examination of the state's death penalty in the January Texas Monthly. It's subtitled, "Someone killed Melissa Trotter and dumped her body in the Sam Houston National Forest. But according to six forensic experts,...

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Fifth Circuit Stays Swearingen Execution

Posted on January 26, 2009
"Man in Montgomery County gets stay of execution," is the report at the Houston Chronicle website by Renee Lee.Condemned killer Larry Swearingen has been granted a second stay of execution. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit handed...

Missouri Lethal Injection Challenge Re-examined

Posted on January 23, 2009
"Missouri Supreme Court rehears case on execution method," is the AP report via the Jefferson City News Tribune. It's written by David Lieb.The Missouri Supreme Court is taking a second look at the way the state adopted its procedures for...

No Room For Doubt

Posted on January 23, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Houston Chronicle. It's subtitled, "Convicted murderer's execution should be stayed pending reconsideration of evidence."Larry Ray Swearingen has lived on Texas death row for eight years, convicted of the rape-murder of a Montgomery...

Texas Execution

Posted on January 23, 2009
Texas carried out it's third execution of 2009, last night in Huntsville. Minutes earlier, the state of Oklahoma carried out its first execution of the year. They were the fourth and fifth executions in the nation in 2009. AP has,"Two...

Thursday

Posted on January 22, 2009
I'll be traveling today. Posts will resume this evening.

Texas carried out it's second execution

Posted on January 22, 2009
Texas carried out it's second execution of 2009, last night in Huntsville. It was the third execution in the nation this year, following earlier executions in Texas and Alabama. AP has this report on the execution of Frank Moore, via...

Wednesday

Posted on January 21, 2009
I am still out of Austin. Posts will be light again today.

Texas Execution

Posted on January 21, 2009
Texas is scheduled to carry out it's second execution of 2009, tonight in Huntsville. It would be the third execution in the nation this year, following earlier executions in Texas and Alabama. AP has this report on the scheduled execution...

February Conference at University of Tennessee

Posted on January 19, 2009
The Tennessee Law Review, is preparing to host a colloquium entitled "The Past, Present, and Future of the Death Penalty," February 6-7, at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville. The lineup includes nationally known experts, such as...

The Future of America's Death Penalty

Posted on January 19, 2009
That's the title of a new book published by Carolina Academic Press. Subtitled, "An Agenda for the Next Generation of Capital Punishment Research," is edited by: Charles S. Lanier, William J. Bowers, James R. Acker. The book grows out of...

Medellin Execution 'Defied Court Order'

Posted on January 19, 2009
That's the headline of the BBC report. LINK The International Court of Justice says the US was in breach of an order not to execute a Mexican man sentenced to death in Texas after a flawed trial. The court was...

Friday

Posted on January 16, 2009
I will be traveling today and away from the computer. Please take this opportunity to visit the Daily Must Reads and other sites in the left column webroll.

Amnesty International Critical of Texas Executions

Posted on January 15, 2009
AI issued a news release earlier this week, "Amnesty International Calls Spate of Texas Executions ?Shameful and Reckless?."As Texas prepares to execute 14 men in fewer than three months, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) called on the state to halt this...

In North Carolina

Posted on January 15, 2009
"Facing up to fiction," is the OpEd in today's Raleigh News & Observer. It's written by Seth Kotch, a historian at UNC - Chapel Hill.A recent news report observed that North Carolina had reached a remarkable milestone: Just one person...

Lethal Rejection

Posted on January 15, 2009
That's the title of an article in Connecticut's New Haven Advocate on Wednesday. It's by Andy Bromage, subtitled, "The financial case for repealing the death penalty."What are the odds Connecticut will abolish the death penalty this year? You would think...

Religious Leaders Call for Maryland Abolition

Posted on January 15, 2009
"Interfaith appeal to end death penalty in Md.," is the Wednesday Baltimore Sun report by Matthew Hay Brown.With the General Assembly session set to open today, an interfaith coalition of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders is urging lawmakers to...

Perry: No Moratorium or Commission Needed

Posted on January 15, 2009
Perry spoke to Christy Hoppe and Robert Garrett of the Dallas Morning News reported in a wideranging interview, "Rick Perry: Legislature unlikely to designate new upper-echelon university in Texas."Perry also said he has faith in the state's criminal justice system...

Texas Execution

Posted on January 15, 2009
Texas executed Curtis Moore last night in Huntsville. It was the state and the nation's first execution in 2009.The Associate Press has this report on the execution. Texas has by far the most active death chamber in the nation and...

Michael Graczyk

Posted on January 14, 2009
KDAF-TV has a brief profile of AP reporter Michael Graczyk, "Texas Reporter Witnesses Hundreds of Executions."A Fort Worth killer is set to become the 424th inmate to be put to death in Texas. When he dies, Mike Graczyk will be...

Texas Execution

Posted on January 14, 2009
Texas is scheduled to carry out is first execution of 2009, tonight in Huntsville. It would also be the nation's first execution of the year.The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has this report on Curtis Moore. Texas has by far the most...

North Carolina Execution Would Ban Execution of Mentally Ill

Posted on January 14, 2009
"Bill would ban execution of mentally ill killers," is the Raleigh News & Observer report by Dan Kane. A coalition of advocates for the mentally ill and a state Superior Court judge spoke in favor today of legislation that would...

Letting Go of the Death Penalty

Posted on January 14, 2009
That's the title of a post at Huffington Post by Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center.Most states are facing drastic cuts in vital services because of the recession. Schools, health care, and law enforcement will have...

Dallas Conviction Overturned Due to Jury Exclusion

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Dallas County District Attorney Office's long-ago practice of excluding minorities from juries is the cause of a new conviction reversal by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court's opinion in Reed v. Quarterman is here, in Adobe...

More on Judge Kent

Posted on January 14, 2009
"5th Circuit Reopens Federal District Judge Probe," is Brenda Sapino Jeffreys report for Texas Lawyer.Because of new criminal charges lodged last week against U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent, the Judicial Council of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...

CCA Again Denies New Trial for Rodney Reed

Posted on January 14, 2009
"Court again denies appeals by Rodney Reed," is Chuck Lindell's post at the Austin American-Statesman's Austin Legal blog.The state?s highest criminal court today refused to grant a new trial to Rodney Reed, sentenced to death a decade ago in the...

False Confessions

Posted on January 13, 2009
The topic of false confessions was front and center at today's meeting of the Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit. The Integrity Unit was formed last year by Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Barbara Hervey to examine widely acknowledged problems in....

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