TCADP

On May 15, 2015, the State of Texas put Jeffrey Williams to death for the murder of plainclothes Houston police officer Troy Blando in 1999 while being arrested for stealing a car.  The U.S. Supreme Court denied his last appeal regarding a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.  Read more from the Associated Press, via the Austin American-Statesman.

It was the sixth execution to take place in Texas this year, out of twelve nationwide, and the first involving a case from Harris County since District Attorney Mike Anderson was sworn into office in January.    Texas has executed 498 people since 1982.

With the May 21 scheduled execution of Robert Pruett stayed for DNA testing, the next execution is scheduled to take place on June 12.

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On May 7, 2013, the State of Texas put Carroll Parr to death for the 2003 drug-related robbery and killing of Joel Dominguez in Waco.  It was the fifth execution to take place in Texas this year.  Read an account from the Associated Press.

Earlier in the day, a Galveston County jury sentenced Bartholomew Granger to death for the murder of 79-year-old Minnie Ray Sebolt outside the Jefferson County Courthouse in 2012.  According to the Associated Press, “Granger, 42, showed no remorse as he admitted opening fire on his daughter and running her over with his truck because she had testified against him in a sexual assault case, but he insisted he didn’t kill Sebolt. His daughter and her mother were among three women wounded in the attack.”  The trial was moved to Galveston so that jurors did not have to walk by the crime scene every day.

Read more about this case from the Beaumont Enterprise.

This is the first new death sentence imposed in Texas in 2013.  In 2012, Texas juries sentenced nine people to death.    View death sentences by county at http://tcadp.org/1976-2012-county-map/.

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On April 25, 2013, the State of Texas carried out its fourth execution of the year, putting Richard Cobb to death for killing Kenneth Vandever during the robbery of a convenience store in Rusk in 2002 (Cherokee County).  Cobb and his co-defendant, Beunka Adams – who was executed one year ago on April 26, 2012 – abducted Vandever and two female clerks from the store.  The two woman were shot, as well, but survived by playing dead.

Read more about the case from Associated Press.

Eleven executions are scheduled to take place in Texas between now and the end of September.

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Tonight the State of Texas carried out its second execution of the year, putting Rickey Lynn Lewis to death for the 1990 murder of George Newman during a burglary at the victim’s house in Smith County.  Lewis also was convicted of raping Newman’s fiancé.  According to the Associated Press, “the U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to review Lewis’ case and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously voted against a clemency request.”  No last-minute appeals were filed on his behalf.

Read the AP article as it appears in the Houston Chronicle.

There have been six executions nationwide to date in 2013, including two in Texas.   Eleven executions are scheduled to take place between now and the end of July, including three more in April. The State of Texas has carried out 494 executions since 1982.

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Executions
The State of Texas has not scheduled any executions this month, but six executions currently are scheduled to take place in April, including Kimberly McCarthy, whose execution date was moved from January 29 to April 3. Please stay tuned to TCADP for more information and any action requests regarding these cases.

Announcements
TCADP Annual Conference Great Success!
The “Changing the Conversation” Conference held Saturday, February 23 at St. Edward’s University in Austin included a record number of attendees, who all seemed to have great take aways from their day.  Video of the panel discussion and award ceremony will be made available soon.  Check out the photos!  See a compilation of the social media posts from the Conference – sfy.co/jFTn.

A tremendous thank you to Campus Ministry at St. Edward’s University and all the speakers, sponsors, and TCADP members who made the conference possible.  Read more about them and all that happened at the conference in the program.

Help TCADP Amplify Austin!
Amplify Austin is a community-wide day of online philanthropy sponsored by “I Live Here, I Give Here” with the goal of raising $1 million in 24 hours for Austin-based participating nonprofits (including TCADP)!

Beginning at 7pm on March 4th, through 7pm on March 5, 2013  TCADP is asking all of our supporters to expand their giving or give for the first time.  During the 24 hour giving period, you can give at www.tcadp.org/amplify-austin/  or  https://amplifyaustin.s3.amazonaws.com/npo38794.html

And if you can, concentrate your giving on March 5 – 1:00 to 2:00pm Central Standard Time!

You might even think about giving March 5, at:
1:12 PM for the 12 people exonerated from Texas death row
1:19 PM for the 119 Texas counties that have never sent anyone to death row
1:39 PM for the 139 countries that have abolished the death penalty in law or practice
1:42 PM for the 142 death row exonerations nationwide
1:50 PM for the 150 supporters who attended the TCADP conference

So why 1:00 to 2:00pm on March 5?

If we can concentrate donations during that time, TCADP may qualify for a $1000 cash prize.
Can’t make it during that hour? No problem, just give during the 24-hour cycle of March 4, 7:00pm to March 5, 7:00pm to make us eligible for more cash perks!  Learn more!

Ways you can help TCADP Amplify Austin and fight Slacktivism!

Set an alarm on your phone for March 5 at 1:00pm and then go to www.tcadp.org/ampolify-austin/ and give a minimum of $25.

Set up a special fundraising page for TCADP and seek support from your friends and family. Page must be created by Monday at 10:00am. Do it here.

Sample Tweet – @TCADPdotORG loves Austin and ending the #deathpenalty, you should too! Help #AmplifyATX! http://bit.ly/YfPFvT

Sample Facebook – I’m ready to give! Are you? Check out Amplify Austin and ways you can help TCADP! http://bit.ly/YfPFvT Giving starts 7pm, March 4.

Share with friends who might want to participate!

Legislative Updates
Texas Legislator Calls for Abolition of the Death Penalty!
On Friday, February 22, 2013, State Representative Jessica Farrar (D-Houston) filed House Bill 1703, which calls for repeal of the Texas death penalty. The bill will be referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, where we aim to secure a full hearing.

What’s next?
1. Please call or email Rep. Farrar to thank her for her leadership on this issue and for filing HB 1703. Email her at Jessica.farrar@house.state.tx.us or call her Capitol office at 512-463-0620.

2. Please join us at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 19^th for the TCADP Lobby Day! Training and instructions for the day will take place from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. We will work with you in advance to arrange visits with your legislators.

Sign up for the TCADP Lobby Day now!

Can’t join us in Austin? You can participate in Lobby Day from home! Suggested actions, information on contacting your lawmakers, and an issue brief for HB 1703 are available here.

Abolition Efforts Move Forward in Maryland
Meanwhile, our colleagues in Maryland are on the cusp of Senate vote on repealing the death penalty; their bill cleared an extremely difficult hurdle on February 21, when the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee vote 6-5 in favor of abolishing the death penalty (this particular committee has blocked previous efforts).  The bill now heads to the Senate Floor, where it is being debated this morning! There are now 26 senators who are either co-sponsoring the repeal bill or who have said in interviews that they plan to support it (in the Maryland Senate, 24 votes are required to pass a bill).  It has 68 co-sponsors in the House of Delegates!

Upcoming Events

March 19: Book-Signing Event Chronicling the Personal Experiences of Capital Defense Attorneys
Our friend and colleague Susannah Sheffer will appear at BookPeople in Austin on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7:00 PM for a talk and signing of her new book, Fighting for Their Lives: Inside the Experience of Capital Defense Attorneys. Through conversations with twenty of the most experienced and dedicated post-conviction capital defenders in the United States, the book explores how those who represent clients facing the death penalty cope with the stress and trauma of their work. Read more and join us for this special event. BookPeople is located at 603 N. Lamar, Austin, 78703.

March 21-24: “Dead Man Walking” Play at Trinity Valley High School in Fort Worth
This month, students at Trinity Valley High School in Fort Worth, Texas will stage four performances of the play “Dead Man Walking,” based on the book and film of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean. Performances will take place on March 21-23 from 7:30 to 10:00 PM and on March 24 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM at the Stephen Seleny Theater, 7500 Dutch Branch Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76132. Call 817.321.0100 for more information.

March 27: First Baptist Church in Austin to Stage Modern Trial of Jesus
Professor Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor who taught law at Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas before joining the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minneapolis (and the author of Jesus on Death Row) and Jeanne Bishop, an assistant Cook County public defender in Chicago and the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was murdered in 1990, will travel to Austin this month to stage the “Trial of Jesus,” a modern interpretation of the death penalty trial of Jesus. This event will take place on Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Austin, 901 Trinity Street, Austin, 78701. Admission is free to the public, but seating will be limited. Please make reservations at fbcaustin.org/trialofjesus. For more information, please contact First Baptist Church of Austin at 512-476-2625.  Read more about the project from Sojourners and CNN.

March 30: A Benefit Concert for TCADP
An evening of music to benefit the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty featuring Tim Broadbent will be held March 30, 2013, 5:00 to 7:00PM at the Garden Room, Lamar Tower, 2929 Buffalo Speedway, Houston. There will be free valet parking. Tim Broadbent is a professional musician, born in England, but a resident of France for many years. Like many Europeans, he deplores the death penalty and is a long-time supporter of Ricky Lynn Lewis who is scheduled for execution on April 9. Tim volunteered to perform this benefit concert and to explain his passionate opposition to the death penalty during his trip to Texas for a final goodbye to Ricky. His music genres are American style folk, blues, and country. He plans a variety of songs for this event. An opening set will be performed by Houston musician Henry Luna. Sissy Farenthold and Dave and Priscilla Atwood will host the event. Donations accepted. Wine & Cheese. Please RSVP 281-933-4925.

In the News
Brazos County Jury Rejects the Death Penalty
On February 27, 2013, after more than 21 hours of deliberation, a Brazos County jury determined that Stanley Wayne Robertson should spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2010 murder of Annie Mae Toliver.  The District Attorney’s office had sought the death penalty for Robertson, but the jury decided that there was mitigating evidence in his case that warranted a life sentence.  Read more.

Mental Illness and the Texas Death Penalty
Should a man who has been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic and who has gouged out both of his eyes be executed by the State of Texas? That’s the troubling question posed in a remarkable feature story by Brandi Grissom, which appears in the current issue of Texas Monthly (“Trouble in Mind,” March 2013) and as a six-part series in the Texas Tribune. Through the case of Andre Thomas, who was sentenced to death for a brutal triple murder in 2004, Grissom examines the disturbing collision of our state’s mental health and criminal justice systems. It’s a must read.

The Cost of Wrongful Convictions
According to a recent article in the Austin American-Statesman (“Tab for wrongful convictions in Texas: $65 million and counting”, February 10, 2013), the State of Texas “has paid more than $65 million to 89 wrongfully convicted people since 1992.” Compensation to exonorees in Texas is more generous than any other state. Texas also leads the nation with 48 DNA exonerations. Read the full article.

Calendar

March
4-5: Amplify Austin
18: El Paso Chapter Meeting, 7:00pm, elpaso@tcadp.org
19: TCADP Lobby Day; Austin BookPeople event featuring Susannah Sheffer
20: Dallas Religious Organizing Committee 6:00pm, Chapter meeting 7:00pm, dallas@tcadp.org
21-24: “Dead Man Walking” Play at Trinity Valley High School in Fort Worth
22-23: Symposium, “Mass Incarceration and the Death Penalty,” University of Texas Capital Punishment Center, Austin. This event is free and open to the public. Register and learn more.
27: First Baptist Church in Austin Stages Modern Trial of Jesus
30: Houston Fundraising event, contact Nancy Bailey 281-933-4925

For more information about these events or to volunteer to staff a table at an outreach event, email info@tcadp.org.

Support all of the programs and initiatives described here with a generous donation to TCADP today!

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Executions

The State of Texas is scheduled to execute Carl Blue on February 21, 2013 for the murder of his former girlfriend, Carmen Richards-Sanders, in College Station in 1994.  If it proceeds as scheduled, this will be the first Texas execution this year. Read more about this case in the Bryan-College Station Eagle.

Respond to this scheduled execution by attending vigils in your community: http://tcadp.org/get-involved/stop-executions/.

Update on Other Cases
Two Texas Death Row Inmates Receive Stays of Execution
On January 29, 2013, a state district judge stayed the execution of Kimberly McCarthy five hours before it was scheduled to take place. It would have been the fourth Texas execution involving a female since 1982.  Judge Marshall granted the stay to provide McCarthy’s attorneys with more time to pursue an appeal based on racial discrimination in the jury selection process. The execution has been reset for April 3.  Read more, including a statement from one of McCarthy’s attorneys. Thanks to everyone who made calls to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office about this case!

On January 30, 2013, State District Judge Kelly Case withdrew the February 27 execution date of Larry Swearingen in order to give his attorneys more time to pursue DNA testing. Swearingen was convicted of the 1998 rape and murder of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter, a student at Montgomery Community College.  Her body was discovered in the Sam Houston National Forest on January 2, 1999, nearly a month after she disappeared from campus.  Swearingen was in police custody on unrelated charges for the three weeks preceding the discovery of Trotter’s body and has maintained his innocence. Read more on the TCADP blog.

Mistrial Declared in Capital Murder Case
On January 28, 2013, after a 55-day delay, District Judge Ken Keeling declared a mistrial in the capital murder trial of John Ray Falk, Jr. The trial, which had been moved from Walker County to Brazos County, came to a halt in December pending a legal dispute over jury instructions. The Walker County District Attorney remains determined to pursue the death penalty in this case. Read more in the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Upcoming Events

TCADP 2013 Annual Conference – Register today to Change the Conversation! 
Changing the Conversation will take place on Saturday, February 23 in Austin, Texas at St. Edward’s University. If you register by February 1 (TODAY) you can attend for a reduced rate; TCADP members receive an additional discount in gratitude for your support throughout the year!

Check out this year’s schedule:

9:00 General Membership Meeting

10:30 Panel Discussion: How are instances of wrongful convictions and evidence of wrongful executions changing the conversation on the death penalty? Karen Boudrie, journalist; Anthony Graves; Professor James Liebman, Columbia University School of Law; and Estrus Tucker, Moderator

12:30 Lunch, Keynote and Award Presentations
Appreciation: JC Dufresne, Texas Democratic Party; Appreciation: Methodist Federation for Social Action-Southwest Texas Chapter; Media: Joe Bailey, Jr. and Steve Mims, Filmmakers of “Incendiary”

2:00 Workshops / Small Group Conversations
·         Beginners Guide to Legislative Advocacy
·         Collaborating to Drive Down Death Sentences and Executions
·         Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty (small group conversation)
Plus, other small group conversations as proposed by participants during pre-registration

3:45 Workshops/ Small Group Conversations
·         The Habits of the Heart: Bridging the Divide and Building Common Ground
·         How to Answer the Tough Questions
·         Increasing Awareness of the Needs of Murder Victims’ Family Members
Plus, other small group conversations as proposed by participants during pre-registration

5:00 Closing Session

Conference Hotel Discounted Room Block ends today!
Wyndham Garden Hotel – A limited number of rooms have been blocked for Friday and Saturday nights at $109 a night. The Hotel will have a free shuttle available to the conference location. If you have trouble making reservations, please call the hotel at 512-744-4831 Booking info on TCADP website.

Help TCADP with Social Media for the Annual Conference:

PLEASE SHARE- Copy Links that can be posted on Twitter and Facebook:

Sample Tweet
@TCADPdotORG 2013 Conference #changingconversation Feb 23 Austin #StEdwardsUniversity http://bit.ly/z9SKzR

Facebook
Registration is open for the TCADP 2013 Annual Conference – Feb 23 (Austin). Discounted rates for TCADP members. NEW- Participants are invited to submit discussion topics during their registration. http://tcadp.org/what-we-do/annual-conference/

Invite your friends to the event posted on Facebook (does not count as registration): https://www.facebook.com/events/540633052621694/

Happenings at the 83^rd Texas Legislature
The 83^rd Texas Legislature convened on January 8, 2013 and is now in full swing. Check out the newly appointed members of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, which will consider most death penalty-related legislation.
The TCADP Lobby Corps has already been active at the Capitol. On January 22-23, 2013, we visited all 181 legislative offices and shared copies of TCADP’s 2012 year-end report, Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2012: The Year in Review. Lobby Corps members engaged in many positive conversations with legislators and their staffs. Please stay tuned to TCADP for updates on legislation and opportunities for you to take action during the session!

In the News
Last month, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins declared his interest in passing a Racial Justice Act in Texas, which would allow death row inmates to pursue appeals based on evidence of racial bias in their cases. Similar legislation has been passed in Kentucky and North Carolina. An editorial from the Dallas Morning News notes that “something underlies the statewide pattern of sending mostly minorities to death row in recent years, and lawmakers should explore the reasons.” Read the editorial and additional coverage from The StandDown Texas Project.

Calendar

February
1: TODAY: Last Day to Receive TCADP Annual Conference Registration Early Bird Rates; Last Day to Book Block Rate Hotel rooms for TCADP Annual Conference

2: Workshop: “The Exonerated and Wrongfully Convicted,” San Antonio 1:00-4:00pm, St. Mary’s University – AT&T Center, Room 108. Free CEU’s. More details.

10-11:  Mass Incarceration Symposium and Lobby Day, ACLU of Texas. Register – www.aclutx.org/lobby

18-21: TCADP and EJUSA booth at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor – Clergy and Lay Leadership Conference, Dallas. More details.

18: El Paso Chapter Meeting, 7:00pm, elpaso@tcadp.org

20: Dallas Religious Organizing Committee 6:00pm, Chapter meeting 7:00pm, dallas@tcadp.org

21: Scheduled execution – Carl Blue

23: TCADP 2013 Annual Conference, Austin Register today.

25: Rev. Carroll Picket to speak at Austin Presbyterian Seminary

27: El Pasoans Against the Death Penalty (EPADP) and UTEP’s Religious Studies Program present: “48 Hours Mystery: Grave Injustice,” the story of Anthony Graves. Food will be provided. 11:30- 1:00pm, UTEP Union Cinema

For more information about these events or to volunteer to staff a table at an outreach event, email info@tcadp.org.

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Earlier today, State District Judge Larry Marshall stayed the execution of Kimberly McCarthy, which was scheduled to take place this evening.  It would have been the first Texas execution in 2013 and the fourth execution involving a female since 1982.  The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office did not appeal the decision but said that the execution had been reset for April 3.  Judge Marshall granted the stay in order to provide McCarthy’s attorneys with more time to pursue an appeal based on racial discrimination in the jury selection process.

One of McCarthy’s attorneys, Maurie Levin, issued the following statement in response to the stay:

“We are very pleased that we will now have an opportunity to present evidence of discrimination in the selection of the jury that sentenced Kimberly McCarthy to death. Of the twelve jurors seated at trial, all were white, except one, and eligible non-white jurors were excluded from serving by the State. As recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court (Miller-El v. Dretke, 2005), these facts must be understood in the context of the troubling and long-standing history of racial discrimination in jury selection in Dallas County, including at the time of Ms. McCarthy’s trial.”

Maurie Levin, attorney

Capital Punishment Clinic, University of Texas School of Law

January 29, 2013

Read more in the Houston Chronicle (as reported by the Associated Press) and the Austin Chronicle (link provided by Steve Hall at StandDown Texas).

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