StandDown Texas Project: Criminal Law

Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

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

Toxic Tinkering ? Lethal-Injection Execution and the Constitution

Posted on October 02, 2008
That's the title of an article in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by George J. Annas. LINK Here's the introduction of this must-read articles:Michel Foucault opened his 1975 book Discipline and Punish with a particularly...

Death Row Realism

Posted on October 02, 2008
That's the title of an OpEd in today's Los Angeles Times by Jeanne Woodford, former warden of San Quentin prison and former director of the California prison system. It's subtitled, "Do executions make us safer? San Quentin's former warden says...

Wednesday

Posted on October 01, 2008
I'll be traveling most of the day today. Posts will resume this evening.

DoJ Report on U.S. Attorney Firings

Posted on September 30, 2008
"Mukasey Appoints Special Prosecutor to Investigate U.S. Attorney Firings," is the Legal Times article. The DoJ report is here.Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the firings of several U.S. Attorneys in 2006, as a report...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

In Illinois

Posted on September 30, 2008
"Illinois treasurer proposes reforms for litigation fund," is the report in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It's written by Kevin McDermott and Nicholas J.C. Pistor.Citing a Post-Dispatch report of endemic waste and lax oversight in the state's death penalty trial fund,...

HPD Crime Lab Seeks Funding for Outside Review

Posted on September 30, 2008
"HPD's crime lab asks for $1.25 million," is the report in today's Houston Chronicle.The Houston Police Department is asking City Council to approve $1.25 million to hire outside scientists to review all tests done by the recently reopened DNA crime....

Indigent Defense in Maryland

Posted on September 30, 2008
"Cash-strapped Maryland public defender office ends contracts with private attorneys," is the National Law Journal web-only report by Marcia Coyle.The Maryland Office of Public Defender recently announced it will no longer contract with private attorneys to handle an estimated 10,000...

Illinois' Capital Litigation Trust Fund

Posted on September 29, 2008
"Taxpayers bankroll waste, inflated fees," is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch report on the Illinois state fund.When prosecutors decided to seek the death penalty against Jason Smith, accused of four shotgun slayings in Belleville, a million-dollar spigot opened for more than...

Justice Alito Opts Out of the Cert Pool

Posted on September 29, 2008
In Legal Times, Tony Mauro reports, "Justice Alito Changes Mind, Gets Out of Pool."On his first anniversary on the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Alito Jr. told Legal Times that he was satisfied with the Court's long-standing law clerk pooling arrangement,...

Continued Fallout From Plano HoodWink

Posted on September 29, 2008
"Former Collin judge, prosecutor's intimacy may affect more than a single death row case ," is Diane Jennings report from the Sunday Dallas Morning News.Recent confirmation of a long-rumored romance between a former Collin County district attorney and a former...

In Mexico

Posted on September 29, 2008
Sean Mattson of the San Antonio Express-News reported, "Some lawmakers want to bring back death penalty," in the Sunday edition.In another sign this country is fed up with kidnappings, police corruption and narco-gang killing sprees, some lawmakers have proposed reinstating...

Between Life and Death

Posted on September 29, 2008
That's the title of Brad Buchholz's article in today's Austin American-Statesman reporting on singer-songwriter Sara Hickman's yearlong musical tour. LINK The final concert is this Wednesday evening, October 1, at Scholz Garten in Austin. More information at the Texas Coalition...

Fennell Sentenced to 10 Years

Posted on September 26, 2008
Isadora Vail reports on the Austin American-Statesman website that the former law enforcement officer at the center of the Rodney Reed case was sentenced earlier today. "Fennell gets 10 years," is her post.Former Georgetown Police Sgt. Jimmy Lewis Fennell Jr...

Civil Suit Filed Against Former Officer Involved in Reed Case

Posted on September 26, 2008
"Woman sues police, Fennell over sex assault," is Isadora Vail's report in today's Austin American-Statesman.A woman who accused former Georgetown police Sgt. Jimmy Lewis Fennell Jr. of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her last year is suing him and the Police...

When the Justice System Fails Us

Posted on September 26, 2008
That's the title of an OpEd by Collin County resident Bill Baumbach in the Dallas Morning News. LINK Here's an excerpt:Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins told the press last week that he wanted to re-examine about 40 death penalty...

Rick Casey on the Hood Case

Posted on September 26, 2008
Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey writes, "Judge-DA sex tale gets weirder," in today's paper.When we last left the case of death row inmate Charles Dean Hood, a state district judge had ordered a hearing on whether to force the judge...

More Coverage of Hood

Posted on September 26, 2008
Diane Jennings writes, "Attonrey general defends actions in investigation of affair between judge, DA," in today's Dallas Morning News.The state's top lawyer said Thursday that he had expected Texas courts to "step up and do the right thing" by investigating...

Thursday

Posted on September 25, 2008
I'll be attending this morning's meeting of the Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit. Posts will resume after the meeting concludes. Earlier coverage of the ad hoc group is here.

Briefs Submitted in Kennedy v. Louisiana

Posted on September 25, 2008
At SCOTUS Blog, Lyle Denniston writes, "Final brief on Kennedy v. Louisiana." Here's an excerpt:In the final brief to be filed before the Supreme Court decides whether to reconsider a major ruling on the death penalty, the state of Louisiana...

News Coverage of the Hood Petition

Posted on September 25, 2008
Diane Jennings reports, "Death row inmate's lawyers request new trial, citing romance between judge and prosecutor." As expected, attorneys for death row inmate Charles Dean Hood filed a petition today seeking a new trial for the condemned killer, claiming his...

Charles Dean Hood - An Update

Posted on September 25, 2008
Texas Defender Service, counsel to Charles Dean Hood has issued the following statement. The habeas petition is in the Breaking News Documents category in the right column.Years-Long Affair Between Judge and D.A. Entitles Charles Hood to New Impartial Trial, Say...

Barefoot Sanders, 1925 - 2008

Posted on September 24, 2008
Today's New York Times carries his obituary, "Barefoot Sanders Dies, Dallas Judge Was 83."Judge Harold Barefoot Sanders, who early saw the political utility of not using his first name and went on to play significant roles in matters from the...

News Coverage of the Davis Stay

Posted on September 24, 2008
"With 2 Hours to Spare, Justices Stay Execution," is the New York Times report.The United States Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Tuesday for a Georgia inmate convicted of killing a police officer in 1989, two hours before...

Supreme Court Stays Execution of Troy Davis

Posted on September 23, 2008
At SCOTUS Blog, Lyle Denniston reports, "Davis execution blocked."The Supreme Court blocked the scheduled execution Tuesday evening in Georgia of Troy Anthony Davis, giving itself time to consider his appeal challenging his conviction for the murder of an off-duty police...

Touch DNA

Posted on September 23, 2008
On Monday the Washington Post reported, "DNA Technology Moves Forward," on the latest advances in testing. When the Maryland State Police lab told her that the evidence didn't contain enough bodily fluid for a complete DNA profile, Shelly Progovitz was...

Watching the Supreme Court

Posted on September 23, 2008
I'm back in the office after an outside meeting, and I see that Lyle Denniston has posted, "Word awaited on Davis execution," at SCOTUS Blog.The Georgia Supreme Court refused on Monday to delay the scheduled execution this evening of Troy...

Will the Supreme Court Act?

Posted on September 23, 2008
The question of whether or not there is judicial review of Troy Davis' death sentence -- eyewitness recantations and all -- is now up to the Supreme Court. Yesterday evening, the Georgia Supreme Court refused to stay tonight's scheduled execution,...

Maryland Commission Holds Final Public Hearing

Posted on September 23, 2008
In today's Baltimore Sun, Jennifer McMenamin reports, "Death penalty on trial."As a police chief in New Jersey, James P. Abbott believed in the death penalty. He supported capital punishment as a way of protecting not only the public, but specifically...

The Troy Davis Case in Georgia

Posted on September 22, 2008
This controversial case is getting attention, but unless the courts decide to examine his claims of innocence Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed tomorrow evening in Georgia. Atlanta's alt-weekly, Creative Loafing, has, "Big support for Troy Davis," on its...

Kennedy v. Louisiana Round-Up

Posted on September 22, 2008
At SCOTUS Blog, Ben Winograd has posted "The Week Ahead."On Wednesday, the state of Louisiana is to file a brief of up to 4,500 words expressing its views on the merits of the issue raised its petition for rehearing in...

Previous | Next

Related Law Bulletins

Texas Governor Takes Surprising Stand In Favor Of Immigrants
Texas Governor Rick Perry, normally an ultra-conservative, surpris...

District Judge Upholds Texas' Moment of Silence Law
In 2003, the Texas legislature amended a "moment of silence" law s...

Irving, Texas Losing Students Due To Immigration Crackdown?
The Dallas Morning News had an interesting story Sunday about the ...

Two New USCIS Training Centers To Open In North Texas
The Dallas Morning News reports today that two regional training c...

Comprehensive Explanation of Irving, Texas Immigration Situation
The Dallas Morning News has a very good series of articles today a...