Last night, attorneys for Duane Buck filed a request for a 30-day reprieve from Governor Rick Perry on behalf of Duane Buck, his family, Senator Rodney Ellis, former Assistant District Attorney Linda Geffin and surviving victim Phyllis Taylor. Here’s an excerpt from the request:
The State of Texas should not condone any form of racial discrimination in the courtroom. The use of race in sentencing poisons the legal process, undermines the reliability and fairness of the sentence, and breeds cynicism in the community toward the very institution entrusted with protecting the rights of all persons equally. Mr. Buck’s sentence offends not only the United States Constitution but also Texans’ shared commitment to racial equality and an equitable justice system.
No other capital case has ever come before your desk more demanding of your immediate intervention. This is the type of case for which the power to issue an executive reprieve was intended to be used. A 30-day reprieve is necessary to allow state officials time to work together and arrive at a solution ensuring that Mr. Buck’s sentence is determined through a process untainted by considerations of his race.
According to Lucy Nashed, a spokeswoman for Perry, the governor will be out of state, so Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will preside over the execution. Please call Lt. Gov. Dewhurst at 512 463-0001 to urge him to stay the execution!
Watch an interview on MSNBC with Linda Geffin.
Read “A Victim’s Plea For Clemency For Duane Buck” by Phyllis Taylor in today’s Washington Post.
Read coverage by CBS News and on StandDown Texas.