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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

Coverage of David Lee Powell Hearing at Fifth Circuit

Posted on June 04, 2008
AP reports, "Texas death row inmate tries to void sentence," via the San Antonio Express-News. It's written by Alan Sayre. Attorneys for a former University of Texas honors student who has been on death row for three decades for killing...

Bob Ray Sanders on the Michael Blair Case

Posted on June 04, 2008
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist's latest is, "A homicide case with a different kind of victim." As is so often the case with Bob Ray Sanders, it's a must-read. Michael Blair has admitted to doing terrible things in his life,...

Ohio Lethal Injection Ruling Expected

Posted on June 04, 2008
Ohio's Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports, "Ruling on death penalty due soon," written by Brad Dicken. Attorneys challenging the state?s lethal injection process on behalf of two accused killers failed to prove that the way the state executes prisoners is unconstitutional or...

More on Texas Lethal Injection Stay

Posted on June 04, 2008
Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman has links to the two petitions filed by Texas Defender Service that resulted in the yesterday afternoon's stay of execution issued by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. His blog post is here. The...

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More on CCA Stay

Posted on June 03, 2008
This is from the latest version of the Houston Chronicle's report, "Appeals court stays execution for Harris County killer," written by Rosanna Ruiz: The Texas Defender Service submitted an appeal arguing that the state recently made changes to its three-drug...

AP on CCA Stay

Posted on June 03, 2008
AP's Mike Graczyk reports, "Appeals court grants stay for Texas inmate." The appeal says the Texas procedure would cause Sonnier unconstitutional pain and suffering. It also says the Texas procedure specifically had not been reviewed legally in light of the...

Texas Execution Stayed

Posted on June 03, 2008
The Houston Chronicle website reports, "Appeals court stays execution for Harris County killer." The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has granted a stay of execution for death row inmate Derrick Sonnier. No further information on the reason for the stay...

KPFT-FM

Posted on June 03, 2008
I'm scheduled to appear on KPFT-FM's local news program this evening at 5:00 pm, CDT, as Texas prepares to resume executions later this evening.

Lose That Lawyer

Posted on June 03, 2008
That's the title of journalist Alan Berlow's latest, at Slate.com. It's subtitled, "Do defendants in Georgia have any right at all to competent representation?" During his five years as a justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, four of them as...

Criminal Justice Blogs

Posted on June 03, 2008
The Criminal Justice Guide has just published a Top 100 Criminal Justice Blogs, including StandDown and many of the sites listed in the left column webroll. You'll likely find a blog you haven't run across yet.

Arkansas AG: Begin Executions

Posted on June 03, 2008
That's the title of an AP report in today's Texarkana Gazette. LINK Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has moved to make convicted killer Frank Williams Jr. the first inmate in Arkansas to die by lethal injection since the U.S. Supreme...

In Missouri

Posted on June 03, 2008
The Joplin Globe carries an AP dispatch, "Corrections Department confirms its execution team is in place." Missouri appears ready to resume executions for the first time in nearly three years. The Missouri Supreme Court said late Friday it will set...

Osborne Sentence a Stain on Justice

Posted on June 03, 2008
That's the title of an OpEd in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution by William Session, the former federal judge and Director of the FBI. LINK One of the few areas of agreement between supporters and opponents of capital punishment is the deep-seated...

Carlos DeLuna's Sister Speaks Out

Posted on June 03, 2008
Rose Rhoton writes the OpEd, "When it comes to capital punishment, Texas is guilty of failing to protect the innocent," in today's Austin American-Statesman. 'I want to say that I hold no grudges.' These were the final words of my...

The Honorable Charlie Baird

Posted on June 02, 2008
That's the title of Jordan Smith's lengthy profile of State District Judge Charlie Baird in the current issue of the Austin Chronicle. LINK He previously served on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and has been active member of the...

New Hampshire's Victim Offender Dialogue Program

Posted on June 02, 2008
Sunday's Manchester Union Leader reported, "Victims can ask to meet those who hurt them most," written by Michael Cousineau. Today marks the 20-year anniversary of Renny Cushing's father getting gunned down when he answered his front door in Hampton. "Nothing...

Fifth Circuit to Hear David Lee Powell Case

Posted on June 02, 2008
Today's Austin American-Statesman reports, "Hearing this week could pave way for cop killer to get fourth trial." Nearly a week after his third death penalty trial began in 1999, lawyers for David Lee Powell got their hands on documents that...

In Georgia and Mississppi

Posted on June 02, 2008
Georgia AP's Shannon McCaffrey writes, "Georgia moves quickly to resume executions," via the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. After a seven-month nationwide halt on executions while the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of lethal injections, Georgia seems eager to make up for lost...

Texas Set to Resume Executions This Week

Posted on June 02, 2008
That's the title of an Texas AP dispatch by Mike Graczyk, via the San Antonio Express-News. LINK The nation's busiest death chamber reopens this week after a nearly 9-month hiatus with the scheduled lethal injection of a former part-time car-wash...

Human Evidence of the Need for Justice

Posted on May 30, 2008
That's the title of an OpEd by Chris Fitzsimon, director of NC Policy Watch, in the Carrboro (NC) Citizen. LINK It?s too bad that every single member of the General Assembly who stands in front of television cameras clamoring for...

The Curtis Osborne Case in Georgia

Posted on May 30, 2008
Race and the death penalty is rearing its ugly head in the Georgia case of Curtis Osborne, who has a June 4 execution date. Today's Atlanta Journal Constitution reports, "Racism 'infected' killer's defense?," by Bill Rankin. With his tall Stetson...

Inside the Architecture of Authority

Posted on May 29, 2008
That's the title of Wired.com slideshow of photographs from Randy Ross' book Architecture of Authority. It begins with a photo of the execution chamber at Angola prison in Louisiana. A new book by photographer Richard Ross, Architecture of Authority, examines...

The Case of Randy Halprin

Posted on May 29, 2008
Spencer Campbell reports, "Notorious 'Texas Seven' Try to Save One of Their Own By Insulting Him ," in the alt-weekly Dallas Observer. The last time the Texas Seven were together, their crime spree claimed a life. Last week, members of...

Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment

Posted on May 29, 2008
The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reports, "State to study its death penalty with list of agencies represented on commission." After bills to repeal Maryland?s death penalty failed for two straight years, a commission will study the state?s capital punishment system instead...

U.S. District Court Judge Rules Panetti Competent

Posted on May 29, 2008
That's the title of an article in this week's Fredericksburg Standard & Radio Post. LINK The ruling was issued in March, as noted in this post. Nearly one year after a reprieve was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court for...

An Update on the Paul House Case in Tennessee

Posted on May 29, 2008
The Tennessean reports, "Paul House will remain in jail until retrial," written by Chris Echegary. A federal judge had considered releasing him from prison Wednesday after House had won some victories in federal court, but now that state prosecutors plan...

At the Death House Door

Posted on May 29, 2008
The highly acclaimed documentary, "At the Death House Door," premieres tonight on cable channel IFC at 9:00 pm (EDT), 8:00 pm (CDT.) There are lots of reviews today. In the Houston Chronicle, Eric Harrison reports, "Quiet death penalty activist goes....

Lead Exposure In Children Linked to Violent Crime

Posted on May 28, 2008
That's the title of an article in today's Los Angeles Times reported by Thomas H. Maugh II and Marla Cone. LINK The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels...

Defense Attorneys React to Trial Cost Report

Posted on May 28, 2008
That's the title of a report by Lubbock's KJTV-TV. LINK A mitigation specialist who works with attorneys that represent capital murder defendants says the tab for the Rodriguez trial is actually pretty cheap. "I think the public should be aware...

Virginia Execution to Proceed

Posted on May 27, 2008
At SCOTUS Blog, Lyle Denniston reports that the U.S. Supreme Court and the Virginia governor have refused to intervene in tonight's scheduled execution. Denniston has, "No delay of Virginia execution." The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, "Kaine won't halt killer's execution...

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