The State of Texas is scheduled to execute Jeff Wood on August 24, despite the fact that he did not kill anyone. Wood was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to […]
Author: Kristin
Kristin Houlé Cuellar is the Executive Director of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP).
The State of Texas seeks to execute Robert Pruett on August 23rd despite significant doubts about the reliability of his conviction. Pruett has steadfastly maintained his innocence in the murder […]
In this edition of our monthly alert, you’ll find information about the three executions scheduled to occur in Texas this month and an opportunity to take action to stop the execution of Jeff Wood, who was sentenced to death under the Texas Law of Parties. You’ll also find a preview of some exciting events we’re hosting this fall.
In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find observations on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Gregg v. Georgia, as well as a recap of important death penalty developments in the last month. You’ll also find information about scheduled executions and a new report on America’s deadliest prosecutors.
A new report from Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project identifies America’s five deadliest head prosecutors out of the thousands that have held that office in the last 40 years. It specifically names Johnny Holmes, who served as the District Attorney of Harris County, Texas from 1979 to 2000; during his tenure, his office secured at least 200 death sentences. Since 2008, by contrast, Harris County juries have sent an average of one person to death row each year.
Today, June 29, marks the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Furman vs. Georgia (1972), which overturned all existing death penalty laws in effect at the time. In Furman, the Justices […]
A jury in Bell County recently deadlocked in its deliberations on whether to sentence David Risner to death for the 2014 murder of Little River-Academy Police Chief Lee Dixon. Risner, a former police officer, was convicted of capital murder on June 6, 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At their 2016 gatherings, the Rio Texas, Central Texas, and Northwest Texas Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church passed resolutions in support of abolition of the death penalty. All five United Methodist Conferences in Texas have now taken a stand on this issue.