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death penalty death sentences Duane Buck Harris County Houston Chronicle racial bias Texas U.S. Supreme Court

Black Defendants Received 12 of Last 13 Death Sentences in Harris County

According to an investigation by the Houston Chronicle, 12 of the last 13 defendants sentenced to death in Harris County have been African American.  The 13th death sentence was handed […]

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Veteran's Day

Veteran’s Day: A Soldier and the Death Penalty

repost from NCADP November 11, 2011.  Veteran’s Day. It has been two decades since I retired from the United States Army, completing a career of twenty-seven years (1964-1991).  It is […]

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death penalty Duane Buck Harris County Texas U.S. Supreme Court

Prominent Leaders Call on Harris County D.A. to Remedy Duane Buck Case

More than 60 prominent civil rights leaders, faith leaders, elected officials, and former presidents of the American Bar Association are calling upon Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos to provide […]

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DNA testing execution Hank Skinner Texas

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Stay to Hank Skinner

We just received confirmation that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) has issued a stay of execution for Hank Skinner. The order from the CCA states that “the Texas Code […]

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death penalty DNA testing execution Governor Rick Perry Hank Skinner Texas. Court of Criminal Appeals

Skinner Appeals to Texas Governor Rick Perry for 30-Day Reprieve

Today, November 7, 2011, attorneys for Texas death row inmate Hank Skinner appealed to Governor Rick Perry to use his authority to grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve so that Skinner “can obtain the DNA testing that he has pursued for more than a decade, and which could resolve once and for all longstanding and troubling questions about the reliability of the verdict in his case.”

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death penalty Duane Buck racial bias re-sentencing trial U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Case of Duane Buck

Today we learned that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the case of Duane Buck, who was scheduled to be executed on September 15, 2011.  Here’s a statement […]

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death penalty DNA testing execution Hank Skinner Texas

Jury Foreman Calls for DNA Testing for Hank Skinner

Among the many voices calling for DNA testing for Hank Skinner is Danny Stewart, who served as the jury foreman in the original trial.  Read a letter to the editor […]

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death penalty DNA testing execution Hank Skinner Texas. Court of Criminal Appeals Witness to Innocence

Skinner Attorney’s File Motion with Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

On Friday, November 4, 2011, attorneys for Hank Skinner filed a motion in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Statement from Attorney for Hank Skinner Regarding the filing today of […]