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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

An Update on the Jaime Weis Case

Posted on June 15, 2010
"Attys urge top court to decide on Ga. capital case," is the title of an AP report filed earlier this morning, via the Macon Telegraph. Several leading Georgia attorneys are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block prosecutors from seeking...

News Coverage of Holland v. Florida

Posted on June 15, 2010
The Holland v. Florida opinion is in Adobe .pdf format. The ScotusWiki file, with all briefing, is here. Tony Mauro writes, "Justices deliver rare victory to death penalty defendants," for National Law Journal. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sympathized...

David Powell Execution Set for Tonight

Posted on June 15, 2010
"Elusive justice in the death chamber," is the title of a Dallas Morning News editorial, today. Powell's three-decade stay on Death Row also draws into question the legal requirement that jurors must find that a defendant possesses "future dangerousness...

David Powell Executed

Posted on June 15, 2010
Tony Plohetski posts, "Powell executed for 1978 slaying of police officer," at the Austin American-Statesman. Powell, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m. He declined to make a final statement and did not acknowledge the question when asked if he...

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More on Collin v. Pinholster

Posted on June 14, 2010
The AP reports, "Court to decide whether to reinstate death penalty," via Google News. The Supreme Court will decide whether a convicted double murderer should have his death sentence reinstated. The high court on Monday agreed to reconsider a lower....

Utah Parole Board Rejects Clemency

Posted on June 14, 2010
"Gardner commutation denied," is the Salt Lake Tribune report by Nate Carlisle. The Board of Pardons and Parole has denied killer Ronnie Lee Gardner's commutation request, meaning his June 18 execution by firing squad will move forward as planned. The...

Holland v. Florida

Posted on June 14, 2010
AP reports, "Court: Death row case goes back to lower court." The Supreme Court said Monday lower courts should look again at an appeal from a death row inmate in Florida whose lawyer missed the deadline for asking federal courts...

Utah Roundup

Posted on June 14, 2010
With the firing squad execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, the death penalty is getting a great deal of attention in Utah. Earlier this morning, Jennifer Dobner posted, "Clemency decision expected from UT parole board," for AP, via Google News. A...

The Slow Death of the Death Penalty?

Posted on June 14, 2010
That's the title of the CBS New Sunday Morning cover story. It's reported by Seth Doane. There is video at the LINK. Here's the opening: Ronnie Lee Gardner deserves to die: So say the people of Utah, where he killed...

The View From Inside

Posted on June 12, 2010
That's the title of David Oshinsky's book review of In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance, the new memoir by Wilbert Rideau. It appears in the New York Times Sunday Book Review of June 13. LINK...

CBS News Sunday Morning

Posted on June 12, 2010
Tomorrow's broadcast of Sunday Morning will feature, "The Slow Death of the Death Penalty? With Utah's Impending Execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner by Firing Squad, Seth Doane Reports on the Increasingly Rare Imposition of Capital Punishment. Sunday Morning will air...

And a Utah Execution Witness Speaks

Posted on June 11, 2010
KSL-TV of Salt Lake City reports, "Firing squad executions: A look back and a look ahead," by Andrew Adams. Paul Murphy was a TV news reporter in 1996 when he witnessed John Albert Taylor being put to death. He still...

An Executioner Speaks

Posted on June 11, 2010
"Executioner: Death by firing squad is '100 percent justice'," is the title of Ashley Hayes' CNN report. So why did he do it? Why choose to join four other men in executing a convicted murderer? "How often does this come...

The Harris County Indigent Defense Proposal

Posted on June 11, 2010
"Senator attacks pace to create defender office," is the title of Chris Moran's report in the Houston Chronicle. The state senator who authored the law allowing Texas counties to establish public defender offices said he is ?embarrassed? Harris County still...

News Coverage - California Rejection of Lethal Injection Regulations

Posted on June 10, 2010
The California Office of Administrative Law Decision is available in Adobe .pdf format. The AP filing, "Regulators reject new death penalty procedures," by Paul Elias is via the San Francisco Chronicle. The Office of Administrative Law on Tuesday rejected the...

Task Force on Indigent Defense Votes to Expand Regional Capital PD

Posted on June 10, 2010
Texas' Task Force for Indigent Defense had a full agenda for its Wednesday meeting. Besty Blaney files, "Texas panel approves funding for defenders office," for AP. It's via the Houston Chronicle. Members of the Task Force for Indigent Defense agreed...

New Sentencing Phase Trial Ordered for Jose Briseno

Posted on June 10, 2010
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruling in Ex Parte Briseno is available in Adobe .pdf format. "Condemned Texas man wins new punishment trial," is the title of the AP report by Michael Graczyk via the Dallas Morning News. The...

Clemency Petition Filed for David Lee Powell

Posted on June 10, 2010
David Powell's clemency petition, requesting that his death sentence be commuted to life in prison, is available in Adobe .pdf format. "District attorney finds fault in Powell defense request," is the title of Tony Plohetski's report in today's Austin American-Statesman...

From New Mexico

Posted on June 10, 2010
"Deathly Debate in Governor Race," is the title of Leslie Linthicum's latest column in the Albuquerque Journal. Here's the opening: Nothing reminds us how blessed we are to live in a democracy like a discussion of the death penalty in...

The Cost Issue in Pennsylvania

Posted on June 09, 2010
Ben Wolfgang writes, "Cost-cutting panel hears suggestions to reduce number of state inmates," for today's Pottsville Republican-Herald. Three weeks before making its recommendations, a cost-cutting panel on Monday focused on one of Pennsylvania's fastest-growing expenses - its prison system...

Louisiana Lethal Injection Legislation

Posted on June 09, 2010
Louisiana's Lafourche Parish Daily Comet carries an AP dispatch, "Notes, quotes from the La. Legislature," which contains this brief item: The proposal (Senate Bill 554) would establish that rules governing the way death sentences are carried out aren't subject to...

North Carolina's Innocence Commission

Posted on June 09, 2010
Raleigh's News & Observer today carries, "A better way to fix mistakes," by columnist Rick Martinez. The consequences of my mistakes aren't usually a big deal. Earlier this year I wrote that Haiti was 90 miles off the Florida coast....

From Utah

Posted on June 09, 2010
AP writer Jennifer Dobner files, "At inmate's request, Utah prepares firing squad." It's via Google News. Barring a last-minute reprieve, Ronnie Lee Gardner will be strapped into a chair, a hood will be placed over his head and a small...

More Defender Offices in Store?

Posted on June 09, 2010
AP reports, "Panel could expand Texas public defenders office," via the Houston Chronicle. It's written by Betsy Blaney. Members of the Task Force for Indigent Defense will vote Wednesday in Austin on whether to approve a $27.7 million grant that...

Keller Inquiry Heats Up as Hearing Nears

Posted on June 09, 2010
"Texas Judge Fires Back in Controversy Over Handling of Execution," is the title of Mary Alice Robbins' report for Texas Lawyer. Here's an excerpt: The latest shot has been fired in an ongoing battle between Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding...

An Update on the David Powell Case

Posted on June 09, 2010
"With execution a week away, Powell appeals," is the title of an Austin American-Statesman report this morning by Tony Plohetski and Chuck Lindell. An attorney for David Lee Powell, who is set to be executed next week in the fatal...

Craig Watkins at Texas Tribune's TribLive

Posted on June 09, 2010
This morning's TribLive event hosted Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. There were extensive comments about Dallas County's Conviction Integrity Unit that has worked to exonerate individuals who had been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated...

California Lethal Injection Regulations Rejected

Posted on June 09, 2010
The California Office of Administrative Law Decision is here, in Adobe .pdf format. The Stockton Record reports, "State rejects lethal injection overhaul." The state's revised method for executing murderers like Stockton's Michael Angelo Morales hit a new snag, sending it...

More Video in the David Powell Case

Posted on June 08, 2010
Sally Norvell has posted new video in the David Powell case. Kathy Cox, a soldier for the Salvation Army for over 60 years, is condemned man David Powell's spiritual adviser. She will go with him to his execution June 15,...

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