Two men have been removed from death row in Texas in recent weeks based on evidence of their intellectual disabilities. The commutations stem from the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Moore v. Texas, which requires the state to use current medical standards in assessing intellectual disabilities.
Category: commutation
Today, June 29, 2012, marks 40 years since the United States Supreme Court overturned all existing death penalty laws, ruling in the case of Furman vs. Georgia (1972) that the death penalty system, as it was being administered, was arbitrary, capricious, and discriminatory. At the time, Justice Potter Stewart said death sentences were as cruel […]
There have been a number of developments with death penalty cases in the last two weeks, including a new death sentence, a jury rejection of a capital murder charge, and a reduced sentence. Here’s a recap: On June 7, 2011, a Fort Bend County jury sentenced Albert James Turner to death for the 2009 murders of his […]
Great news! Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has commuted the death sentence of Kevin Keith to life without parole. Here’s an excerpt from his statement: “… despite the evidence supporting his guilt and the substantial legal review of Mr. Keith’s conviction, many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and […]