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

Jimenez v. Quarterman - UPDATED

Posted on January 13, 2009
Earlier today, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the Texas case of Jimenez v. Quarterman. The unanimous opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas is here. The case was argued before the Court on November 4.At The BLT, Tony Mauro writes,...

Adam Liptak on Harbison v. Bell

Posted on January 13, 2009
The only news coverage that I've found of yesterday's Supreme Court oral argument in Harbison v. Bell is Adam Liptak's, "Weighing Reach of Law in Appeals for Clemency," in today's New York Times. The oral argument transcript is here.In an...

Blood Money

Posted on January 13, 2009
That's the title of an article in Best of New Orleans by David Winkler-Schmit concerning the aftermath of John Thompson's exoneration in Louisiana. It's the talk of the Crescent City. LINKHere's the introduction of this must-read:New Orleans District Attorney Leon...

Reflection in New Hampshire

Posted on January 12, 2009
"Death penalty debate: complex and infinite," reflects on the recent death sentence, handed down in New Hampshire; the first in the state in 49 years. It was collected by Michael McCord.When a New Hampshire jury handed down the state's first...

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

Lethal Injection Drugs in Washington State

Posted on January 12, 2009
"Investigating the Source of Lethal Injection Drug in Stayed Stenson Case," is Patricia Murphy's report at KUOW-FM, Washington Public Radio. You can listen to the audio report at the link.The State Department of Health is investigating the way the State...

Alaska Speaker to Introduce Death Penalty Bill

Posted on January 12, 2009
"Death penalty debate resumes," is Sean Cockerham's report in the Anchorage Daily News.Incoming state House speaker Mike Chenault is pushing to reinstate the death penalty in Alaska, and Gov. Sarah Palin is all for it. So is state Rep. Jay...

More From Nebraska

Posted on January 12, 2009
"Sen. Flood: Support of death penalty change is 'personal'," is from Nebraska's KTIV-TV.A battle is brewing, in Lincoln, over Nebraska's death penalty. And, for a Siouxland lawmaker, it's personal. Nebraska's death penalty will be major focal point this legislative session...

In Maryland

Posted on January 12, 2009
State Legislatures are beginning to crank up, and the death penalty is front and center in Maryland. The Sunday Washington Post carried the OpEd, "A Moral Test for Maryland Legislators," by The Right Rev. John Bryson Chane and the Right...

Harbison v. Bell

Posted on January 12, 2009
SCOTUS Blog has a preview of today's oral argument in Harbison v. Bell. All the briefing is available here on ScotusWiki. The transcript of the oral argument should be available here, at the Supreme Court's website, before the end of...

Colb Commentary on Defendant Testimony

Posted on January 09, 2009
Cornell Law prof Sherry Colb's latest FindLaw commentary is, "The Costs of Testifying in One?s Own Defense: An Empirical Study Highlights the Problem, But What To Do About It?" Here's the beginning: This year in the Cornell Law Review, Professors...

Nebraska's Lethal Injection Legislation

Posted on January 09, 2009
"Lethal injection to face fight," is Paul Hammel's report in today's Omaha World-Herald.An Omaha lawmaker said Thursday there's plenty of fight left among death penalty opponents, even if their champion is gone. "I will debate it to the end," said...

Execution Chronicles

Posted on January 08, 2009
Renu Nahata contacted me about the Execution Chronicles website, promoting a new documentary with the same name. Execution Chronicles examines hate crimes around the globe. It focuses on the case of Texas death row inmate Mark Stroman. In the wake...

Donna Edwards

Posted on January 08, 2009
Writing yesterday's post on Tom Geoghegan, sparked an item for my to-do list. In August I referred to Donna Edwards, a newly elected Member of Congress from the 4th District of Maryland, in this post. Donna was one of the...

An Update from Nebraska

Posted on January 08, 2009
"Speaker Takes Lead in Move to Adopt Lethal Injection," is the updated post at Nebraska State Paper.It didn?t take long for the death penalty issue to come to the forefront, at least for awhile, of the legislative session that began...

Natasha Minsker on California's Death Penalty

Posted on January 08, 2009
"Prosecutors, Cops and Judges: Ready to Ditch California?s Death Penalty," is her post at California Progress Report. Minsker is the death penalty policy director for the ACLU of Northern California. It's a must-read recap of the recent debate in her...

Mitigation

Posted on January 08, 2009
Kim Smith reports, "'Mitigation specialist' has weighty court job: trying to spare a life," in the Monday Arizona Daily Star.When it comes to questions of life or death, even the most heinous of convicted killers is entitled to argue that...

Nebraska Lethal Injection Legislation

Posted on January 08, 2009
"Speaker plans to introduce bill to adopt lethal injection," is Paul Hammel's report in today's Omaha World-Herald.A powerful ally has joined the push to adopt lethal injection as the means to carry out Nebraska's death penalty. State Sen. Mike Flood...

"Judge in Texas pleads innocent

Posted on January 08, 2009
"Judge in Texas pleads innocent to new sex charges," is the AP report by Juan Lozano, via Google News.A federal judge charged with fondling a court employee and trying to force her into a sexual act pleaded innocent Wednesday to...

First Texas Private Defender Office to Open

Posted on January 08, 2009
"First Private Criminal Defender Program in Texas to Commence," is the report in Texas Lawyer.A first-of-its-kind program in Texas is scheduled to open Jan. 15 in Lubbock, providing specially trained private practitioners to represent indigent criminal defendants who are mentally...

Tom Geoghegan

Posted on January 07, 2009
Yesterday afternoon, I happened across a post at Huffington Post by my friend Tom Geoghegan, "I'm running for Congress in IL-5."His campaign is already getting Internet buzz, as noted here: We were a recommended diary on DailyKos, and got front-page....

In California

Posted on January 07, 2009
"State decides to seek public input on execution plan," is Howard Mintz' report in today San Jose Mercury News.California officials have abandoned a legal fight over their bid to secretly overhaul the state's execution method, a move that sends the...

Should AG Back Erring Prosecutors?

Posted on January 07, 2009
That's the title of Rick Casey's latest Houston Chronicle column. LINK Five years ago I asked readers to feel sorry for Assistant Attorney General Gena Bunn. Now I'm asking you to feel sorry for Assistant Attorney General Catherine Hayes. It...

Is the Death Penalty a Dying Breed?

Posted on January 07, 2009
That's the titleof Diane Jennings' report in today's Dallas Morning News. LINK Executions nationwide and in Texas were down in 2008. So were death sentences. The numbers don't lie ? but not everyone agrees on what they say. Defense attorneys...

'Paying No Heed to What's Right or Wrong'

Posted on January 07, 2009
That's the title of an article in today's Chicago Sun-Times by Maurice Possley about the-Illinois AG Roland Burris' involvement in the case of Rolando Cruz, later exonerated of a crime that sent him to death row. Burris has been named...

More Coverage of DPIC Report & A Look at Ohio

Posted on January 07, 2009
"Number of executions in 2008 marked 14-year low," is Vesna Jaksic's web-only report today at National Law Journal.The number of executions in 2008 marked a 14-year low, continuing a declining trend since a high reached in 1999, according to a...

In Nebraska -UPDATED

Posted on January 06, 2009
"Lethal injection backed in survey," is Paul Hammel's report in Nebraska's Omaha World-Herald.Since the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled 11 months ago that electrocution was cruel and unusual punishment, the state has been without a legal means to carry out the...

Unjust Death Penalty

Posted on January 06, 2009
That's the title of an editorial in today's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette regarding an Indiana death sentence. LINKReinstatement of the death penalty against Joseph Corcoran marks another sad twist in a cruel and misplaced effort to extract justice from a...

In North Carolina

Posted on January 06, 2009
Sunday's Greensboro News & Record contained the editorial, "A penalty of the past."Gov. Mike Easley raised a pointed question about crime and punishment: "When are we going to hold some of these people accountable and get some of these executions...

Diaz Makes Compelling Plea on Death Penalty

Posted on January 06, 2009
That's the title of an editorial from the January 2nd issue of the Hattiesburg American. LINKMISSISSIPPI SUPREME COURT Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. did not go out with a whisper. He ended his career on the bench with a dissent in...

An Oregon Justice Suggests Revisiting the Death Penalty

Posted on January 06, 2009
Oregon State Supreme Court Justice Martha Walters concurred in a recent ruling affirming a death sentence in the state, but also suggested a review of the constitutionality of capital punishment. In her concurring opinion in State of Oregon v. Michael...

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...