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

His Stories Kept Us Entertained

Posted on June 16, 2009
That's the title of an OpEd in Sunday's Concord Monitor written by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg about her colleague, Justice David Souter. LINK Here's an excerpt: Washington, D.C., is a city not known for the humility of its...

A New Blog at the Dallas Morning News and News From China

Posted on June 16, 2009
Dallas Morning Newser Michael Landauer has launched a Texas Death Penalty blog. I'll add it to the left-column webroll. The latest installment is titled, "Death penalty good or bad for an unstable government?" Here's an excerpt from that post: The...

Indigent Defense Roundup

Posted on June 16, 2009
"Calif wants to cut legal aid attorneys for poor," is Deborah Hastings report for AP, via Google News. Lawyers for the poor, who say they already are stretched to the breaking point by huge caseloads and dwindling staff, face layoffs...

New Books

Posted on June 16, 2009
Two new books examine capital punishment from two very different perspectives. In today's Austin American-Statesman, staff writer Patrick Beach reviews Baylor Law prof Mark Osler's, Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment...

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

Utah AG Again Proposes Limits on Death Penalty Appeals

Posted on June 15, 2009
"Lengthy death-row appeals targeted," is Bob Bernick's report in today's Deseret News. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and some lawmakers want the state constitution changed to stop the Utah Supreme Court from delaying murderers' executions. "We have won every battle,"...

The Death Penalty Debate in California

Posted on June 15, 2009
Today's San Francisco Chronicle carries the OpEd, "Legal stalling is packing Death Row," by Republican state legislator Tom Harman. Legal executions have been the law of the land in California since the late 1800s. They were briefly abolished by the....

The Pace of Executions in Indiana

Posted on June 15, 2009
"Indiana executions at slowest pace in 15 years," is Tom Coyne's AP report, via the Chicago Tribune. Indiana has gone two years without an execution for the first time since the mid-1990s, when it put five inmates to death, and...

Judge Considers Whether to Remove DA's Office From Death Row Appeal

Posted on June 15, 2009
That's the title of an article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram written by Melody McDonald. It appeared in the Saturday edition. LINK Here's an extended excerpt: A state district judge is considering whether to recuse the Tarrant County district attorney?s...

Recognition for Rick Casey ... and the Texas Observer

Posted on June 12, 2009
Last night, the Texas Observer and it's parent organization the Texas Democracy Foundation hosted the awarding of the 2009 Molly National Journalism Prize, named for the late Texas journalist Molly Ivins. Rick Casey, a columnist for the Houston Chronicle won...

Prosecutorial Misconduct Alleged in Kentucky Capital Case

Posted on June 12, 2009
"Prosecutor resigns after controversial plea deal," is the AP report by Brett Barrouquere, via Kentucky.com. A prosecutor resigned under pressure Thursday after officials say she compromised a capital murder case by defying orders in cutting a deal a witness...

New Hampshire Likely Next to Create Death Penalty Study Commission

Posted on June 12, 2009
"Lynch expected to sign bill to study N.H.'s death penalty," is the title of Michael McCord's report in today's Portsmouth Herald. Gov. John Lynch is expected to sign legislation establishing a Death Penalty Task Force Study Commission to review New....

Ohio Court Promises More Time Between Executions

Posted on June 12, 2009
That's the title of an AP report, via the Coshocton Tribune, written by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. LINK The Ohio Supreme Court said Thursday it will schedule future executions at least three weeks apart, an announcement made as the state prepares to...

Senate Hearing TodaySubcommittee on Crime and Drugs

Posted on June 11, 2009
The Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today, ?Exploring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009? You can view the hearing webcast at the link. It's scheduled to begin at...

Congratulations to Bryan Stevenson

Posted on June 11, 2009
"Montgomery attorney wins Gruber Justice Prize," is Bob Johnson's AP report, via the Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery attorney Bryan Stevenson was named Wednesday a winner of the 2009 Gruber Justice Prize for his longtime work representing death row inmates, indigent defendants...

House Judiciary Committee Votes to Impeach Kent

Posted on June 11, 2009
John Council has this report for Texas Lawyer on the U.S. House of Representative's quick action on the convicted federal judge. The House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach retired U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent by a 29-0 vote Wednesday,...

District Attorneys Disagree on Racial Justice Act

Posted on June 11, 2009
That's the title of an article in North Carolina's Indy Week by Matt Saldana. LINK Here's an extended excerpt: The House Committee on Ways and Means and Broadband Connectivity on Monday narrowly approved the Racial Justice Act, which would prohibit...

Opinion Roundup

Posted on June 11, 2009
North Carolina's Durham News carries the OpEd, "Reasons not to resume executions," in today's edition. It's written by Chris Fitzsimon, the director of NC Policy Watch. Last month's ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court that the state medical board...

More Editorial Support for Troy Davis

Posted on June 11, 2009
Today's Lakeland Ledger of Florida looks at the controversial Georgia case in the editorial, "Death Case Merits Review." A last-chance appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court from Troy Anthony Davis, convicted of murdering a police officer and sentenced to death...

Answers Needed in Alabama

Posted on June 11, 2009
That's the title of an OpEd by Robert Baldwin from the Anniston Star. Baldwin, a medical doctor and President of the Alabama Ear Institute also maintains the blog Life and Death Matters. The link to the OpEd is here. An...

CCA Sets Aside Death Sentence Due to Atkins Claim

Posted on June 11, 2009
"Court commutes killer's sentence to life," is the AP report by Michael Graczyk, via the Dallas Morning News. An inmate from San Antonio had his death sentence commuted to life Wednesday after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decided he...

CCA Judge Meyers Running for Re-Election

Posted on June 10, 2009
Judge Lawrence Meyers has issued a press release signaling his intention. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence ?Larry? Meyers announced today the re-appointment of Austin Attorney Rick Wetzel as his campaign treasurer, in the first step of Meyer?s re-election...

More on Sam Kent

Posted on June 10, 2009
"Pace Quickens for Impeaching Convicted Judge," is the AP report by Suzanne Gamboa, via Law.com. Members of Congress are moving quickly to force a convicted federal judge from Texas out of office so they can avoid paying his annual salary...

California Can't Afford the Death Penalty

Posted on June 10, 2009
That's the title of an OpEd in today's Los Angeles Times by the state's former attorney general, John Van de Kamp. It carries the subhead, "Eliminating capital punishment, which is rarely carried out anyhow, would save the state $125 million...

A Supreme Court Nomination Stirs Up Bad Memories

Posted on June 10, 2009
That's the title of an article in today's New York Times, written by Fernanda Santos. LINK Jeffrey Deskovic heard a TV talk show host announce President Obama?s nominee for the Supreme Court last month, and his mind raced. That name;...

More Recognition for West Texas PD Office

Posted on June 10, 2009
"County court system earns national recognition for program," is the title of Logan Carver's report in today's Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. A national organization this week recognized the Lubbock County court system for its capital defense program and its accountability measurement program...

Opinion Roundup

Posted on June 10, 2009
Renny Cushing, the executive director of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights and a member of the New Hampshire state legislature has an OpEd in today's Concord Monitor, "175 years ago, a plea to end the death penalty." The effort...

Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing Set to Begin July 13

Posted on June 09, 2009
Politico reports, "Sotomayor hearing date set for July 13." Alex Isenstadt writes: Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy has forged ahead with a July 13 start date for confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, pushing past Republicans who want...

An Update on the Illinois Report on Criminal Justice Costs

Posted on June 09, 2009
Last week I noted the release of an Illinois report examining criminal justice costs in New York and California designed as a guide for Illinois lawmakers and policymakers. Thanks to Malcolm Young, the report's author, you can view, "Controlling Corrections...

Justice Served

Posted on June 09, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Amarillo Globe-News. LINK Opponents of capital punishment noted the June 2 execution of convicted murderer Terry Lee Hankins in Huntsville. What makes Hankins' execution in any way unique is that it was...

Firing Squad No Longer Idaho Option

Posted on June 09, 2009
An item that seemed to fly below the news radar is noted at the Progressive States Network in, "Legislative Session Roundup: Idaho." Death Penalty: H 107 eliminates the death penalty by firing squad, making Idaho the last state in the...

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...