August 2012 Alert: Marcus Druery Stay; Two August Executions; Summer 2012 Newsletter; & Upcoming Events!

Late last week, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution to Marcus Druery. Druery was scheduled to be executed today, August 1, for the 2002 murder of Skyyler Browne in rural Brazos County. Serious questions surround his mental competency; the State’s own mental health professionals repeatedly have diagnosed him as schizophrenic. The Court granted the stay in order to review his attorneys’ request for a full and fair competency hearing. Read an editorial from the Houston Chronicle (“Texas execution stay a wise move,” July 30, 2012) and a comprehensive piece about this case from Andrew Cohen in The Atlantic (“Will Texas execute a psychotic man?” July 30, 2012). Additional information and updates also are available on the TCADP blog.

On August 7, 2012, the State of Texas is scheduled to execute Marvin Wilson 
for the 1992 shooting death of Jerry Robert Williams in Beaumont. According to his attorneys, Wilson was diagnosed with mental retardation by Dr. Donald Trahan, a court-appointed, board certified neuropsychologist with 22 years of clinical experience as a mental retardation specialist. At Wilson’s hearing to determine whether he had mental retardation, the state presented no evidence whatsoever; it has never offered any expert opinion, in any form, challenging Dr. Trahan’s clinical diagnosis. Read more background on this case from the Texas Defender Service.

On August 22, 2012, the State of Texas is scheduled to execute John Balentine for the 1998 murders of his ex-girlfriend’s brother, Mark Caylor, Jr., 17, and two other boys, Kai Geyer, 15, and Steven Watson, 15. Last year, on the day of his scheduled execution (June 15, 2011), he received a last-minute reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court stopped the execution to review a petition from Balentine’s lawyer that contended his legal representation at trial and in the early stages of his appeal was deficient.

Respond to scheduled executions by learning about current clemency campaigns or attending vigils being hosted in your community:  https://tcadp.org/get-involved/stop-executions/

Last month, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced that it would no longer administer executions using the three-drug protocol that had been in place since 1982, when Texas carried out the nation’s first lethal injection. Instead, the State now will carry out executions using just one drug, the sedative pentobarbital. On July 18, 2012, Yokamon Hearn was put to death by this new protocol. A Dallas County jury sentenced him to death for the 1998 carjacking and murder of 23-year-old Frank Meziere.

Read more about the change in protocol.

Read and Share it Now!

Do you watch Texas legislative committee hearings online? Have you ever wanted to explore the inner chambers of the State Capitol? Then this exciting new volunteer leadership opportunity is for you! TCADP is forming a dedicated Volunteer Lobby Corps, consisting of about 10 people, who will work with us next year during the 2013 Legislative Session. You don’t have to be a political junkie to participate – we’ll provide you with all the training, resources, and support you’ll need! Look for an email from TCADP later this month with more details about the Lobby Corps and the application process or contact TCADP Board President Bob Van Steenburg at president@tcadp.org for more information.

2013 Annual Conference Planning Underway!

Mark your calendars for the next TCADP Annual Conference, which will take place on Saturday, February 23, 2013 on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. The conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet abolitionists from across the state and learn the latest innovative strategies in our work to end the death penalty. Next month we will begin accepting nominations for our annual awards, so start thinking now about individuals or organizations worthy of the Appreciation, Courage, and Media Awards. Read about last year’s amazing honorees!

Please be aware that due to maintenance, the TCADP website may be down late Friday or this weekend for a few hours or as much as 24 hours.  We appreciate your understanding.

Calendar

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