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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

Illinois Lt. Gov. Urges Signing Repeal Law

Posted on January 25, 2011
"Simon urges Quinn to sign death-penalty repeal," is the title of Chris Wetterich's report for Springfield's State Journal-Register. Here's an extended excerpt: Gov. Pat Quinn may not have decided whether Illinois should have the death penalty, but his No...

President Nominates New Solicitor General

Posted on January 25, 2011
The White House announcement is at the link. Lyle Denniston posts, "Verrilli chosen for SG post," at SCOTUS Blog. President Obama has turned to his White House legal staff for a new U.S. Solicitor General, selecting associate counsel Donald B....

More Ohio News - State to Switch Lethal Injection Drug

Posted on January 25, 2011
AP reports, "Ohio to use surgical drug in lethal injections." It's via Google News. Ohio is set to become the first state to use a surgical sedative as its sole means of executing condemned inmates, a switch made as the...

Additional Coverage of Friday's FSC Meeting

Posted on January 24, 2011
The Austin American-Statesman reports, "Willingham probe takes unexpected turn," by Chuck Lindell. Adding an unexpected twist to its investigation of the science used to convict and execute Cameron Todd Willingham for arson murder, the Texas Forensic Science Commission voted Friday...

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Hospira Decision Viewed From Other States

Posted on January 24, 2011
From Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reports, "Hospira ceases production of anesthetic used in executions." It's written by Bruce Japsen. "These discussions and internal deliberation, as well as conversations with wholesalers ? the primary distributors of the product to customers ?...

Texas Coverage of the Hospira Decision

Posted on January 24, 2011
Brandi Grissom posts "Texas Seeking Execution Drug," at the Texas Tribune. Texas officials have enough execution drugs to carry out the death sentences for two inmates scheduled for lethal injection in February. But they will have to find another sodium...

Extended Coverage of the Hospira Announcement

Posted on January 24, 2011
I'm going to break coverage into three posts. First, the national coverage; second, Texas coverage; and, other state coverage. The New York Times report is, "States Face Shortage of Key Lethal Injection Drug." It's written by Erik Echholm and Katie...

Pennsylvania Reaction to Gov. Rendell's Call for Review

Posted on January 24, 2011
Today's Philadelphia Inquirer carries the editorial, "Life is the better choice." Ed Rendell was half right when he talked about the problems surrounding the death penalty in his waning days as governor. Rendell called on the General Assembly to either...

Additional Lethal Injection News

Posted on January 24, 2011
"Ga. court rejects condemned man's lawsuit," is the AP report via WRCB-TV. A judge rejected an attempt to delay a Georgia death row inmate's execution after his attorneys raised questions about the supply of a lethal injection drug. Fulton County...

Hospira to Stop Manufacturing Sodium Thiopental

Posted on January 21, 2011
Nathan Koppel posts, "Hospira to Stop Making Lethal-Injection Drug," at the Wall Street Journal. The sole U.S. maker of a key execution drug has decided to permanently halt production of the drug, which could lead many states to face delay...

Galveston Hearing

Posted on January 21, 2011
Today's Galveston Daily News reports, "Judge rejects death penalty challenges." It's by Chris Paschenko. A judge refused Thursday to declare the state?s death penalty unconstitutional, rejecting motions by the defense team of an accused child killer who faces a capital...

Maryland Lethal Injection Regulations

Posted on January 21, 2011
"Hearing on Md. death penalty rules set next month," is John Wagner's Washington Post report. Maryland lawmakers have scheduled a hearing on proposed death penalty regulations, a long-delayed step along the way to the possible resumption of executions in the...

Hearing Today in Georgia Lethal Injection Challenge

Posted on January 21, 2011
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, "Julie Love killer to attend hearing on execution method." It's written by Bill Rankin and Rhonda Cook. A Fulton County judge will hold a hearing Friday on condemned killer Emmanuel Hammond's claim that his scheduled execution...

Where Texas Obtains Its Lethal Injection Drugs

Posted on January 21, 2011
The next three posts all relate to lethal injection news. First, Texas. "Ohio company supplies state with lethal drugs," is the title of Mike Ward's report in today's Austin American-Statesman. Texas, which runs the nation's busiest prison death chamber, buys...

FSC to Resume Willingham Consideration Today

Posted on January 21, 2011
The Forensic Science Commission meets today in Austin, and the Todd Willingham case is on its agenda. The Innocence Project will be webcasting the meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Yamil Berard reports, "Forensic science panel set to deliberate Willingham...

An Update on the FSC Meeting

Posted on January 21, 2011
"Texas panel to issue report on convicted arsonist who was executed," is the title of Michael Graczyk's AP post, via the Houston Chronicle. A Texas commission looking into an arson investigation that led to the execution of the man convicted...

Additional Coverage of Justice Pfeifer's Call for Ohio Repeal

Posted on January 20, 2011
"Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer wants to scrap the death penalty," is the title of Reginald Fields' report for today's Cleveland Plain Dealer. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer, who helped write the state's death penalty law, now wants...

Indigent Defense Facing Texas Budget Cuts

Posted on January 20, 2011
Texas legislative leaders rolled out the draft budget for the two year period beginning September 1, 2011. Legislators are facing a projected $27 billion shortfall, and the governor has pledged not to increase revenue through taxes. The Texas Legislature's 140-day...

TCRP Files Grievance Against Sharon Keller

Posted on January 20, 2011
The grievance and the narrative explanation filed by the Texas Civil Rights Project are available in Adobe .pdf format. This morning's San Antonio Express-News reports, "Rights group wants judge?s law license yanked." It's written by Guillermo Contreras...

Companies Won't Sell Kentucky Lethal Injection Drug

Posted on January 19, 2011
That's the title of Brett Barrouquere's AP report via Google News. It's also available via ABC News. Here are extended excerpts. Those following the issue will want to read the entire article Amid a nationwide shortage of a lethal injection...

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Calls for Repeal of State's Death Penalty

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Justice opposes death penalty; Pfeifer helped write law, but now says state should halt executions," is the title of the AP report by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. It's via the Akron Beacon Journal. An Ohio Supreme Court justice who helped write the...

Texas Lawyer Sued by State Bar Over Dealings With Exonerees

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Lawyer for Texas Exonerees Faces Misconduct Suit," is the title of Jeff Carlton's AP report this morning. It's via Law.com. The State Bar of Texas has filed a lawsuit against an attorney who collected millions of dollars from wrongly convicted...

Texas Innocence Clinics Facing Budget Cuts

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Texas Innocence Clinics Under the Budget Knife," is the news report from the newly formed Texas bureau of the Public News Service. State budget woes could spell the end of the Texas Innocence Clinics. It's expected the base budget will...

A Meeting of Houston Religious Leaders

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Houston religious leaders pledge to fight death penalty," is the title of Jeannie Kever's report in today's Houston Chronicle. Seven of Houston's best-known religious leaders publicly pledged to fight the death penalty Tuesday night, saying it damages the society it...

Supreme Court Lifts Stays in Two Texas Cases

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Justices lift stay in Fort Worth slaying, with new execution date to be set soon," is the report in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It's by Tim Madigan. Within the next several days, a Fort Worth judge is expected to set...

Department of Justice Creates Office Targeting Prosecutorial Misconduct

Posted on January 19, 2011
"Justice Dept. office to punish prosecutors' misconduct," is the USA Today report by Brad Heath and Kevin McCoy. The Justice Department created a new internal watchdog office on Tuesday to make sure federal prosecutors face swifter and more consistent punishment...

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin on the Death Penalty

Posted on January 18, 2011
Today's State Journal-Register of Springfield, Illinois reports, "Durbin changes stance on death penalty." It's written by Bernard Schoenburg. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking member of the U.S. Senate, said Monday he has come to believe that states should not...

Texas Editorials

Posted on January 18, 2011
We have two weekend editorials addressing different capital issues. "Time is right for a freeze on Texas executions," is the Dallas Morning News editorial from the Saturday edition. The state of Illinois has taken on the difficult questions more appropriately,...

Maryland - A Push for Lethal Injection Regulations

Posted on January 18, 2011
"More death penalty talk in Md.," is the AP report today via the Washington Post. Here's an extended excerpt: Within a month, a state panel will take up proposed rules on how lethal injections are administered in Maryland, a lawmaker...

Repeal News Coverage From Illinois

Posted on January 18, 2011
The National Law Journal reports, "The death knell for capital punishment? Will Illinois' effort to end capital punishment help kill the death penalty nationally?" It's by Tony Mauro. Until a month ago, Chicago lawyer and best-selling author Scott Turow chalked...

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